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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.

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

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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: bass · present · pass · club · plane · march · pound · wake

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. present — there
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wake — a trail
  6. plane — a tool
  7. club — a group
  8. bass — low music
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pound — a weight
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. present — the time now
  13. march — the month
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bass — the fish
  20. club — for golf
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. plane — in geometry

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