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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.

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: pop · date · wave · fork · pass · bass · clip · trunk

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. clip — a video
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pop — soda
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fork — in a road
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bass — low music
  21. clip — to cut
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. date — the fruit
  24. trunk — of a tree

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