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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 120 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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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: march · stand · bass · pass · cabinet · stick · scale · rule

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rule — a law
  3. pass — a permit
  4. march — music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — the month
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rule — government
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. scale — in 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