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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · leaves · pass · file · current · bass · pitch · bear

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bass — low music
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pitch — completely
  14. current — electric
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fall — to drop
  19. file — a document
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. current — of water
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com