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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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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 · pop · net · pass · season · coach · capital · rash

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  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. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bass — low music
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. rash — a series
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. capital — money
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bass — the fish
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. net — in sport
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rash — hasty
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. season — in sport
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. capital — a city
  24. pass — to succeed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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