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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: kick · fall · calf · bass · ground · pass · mine · roll

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. roll — a list
  3. bass — low music
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. ground — a position
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. roll — a cake
  10. fall — the season
  11. ground — the earth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. kick — in football
  14. ground — crushed
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pass — a permit
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pass — to succeed

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