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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.

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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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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: spell · hide · track · bass · pass · pound · season · sharp

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. spell — a short time
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. bass — low music
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. track — a song
  12. pass — a permit
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bass — the fish
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. track — a path
  19. spell — magic
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spell — letters
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. track — to keep track
  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