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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: bass · craft · shower · pass · tube · bound · content · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bound — certain
  4. march — the month
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. content — the amount
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bound — obliged
  11. tube — the underground
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bass — low music
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bound — tied together
  17. content — happy
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. march — the month
  20. pass — a permit
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. bass — the fish
  24. tube — a container

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