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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 116 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: mine · ball · saw · chair · bass · wake · perch · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. perch — the fish
  4. saw — the tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ball — a great time
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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