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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: cabinet · fan · bass · nail · pass · march · last · object

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. march — the month
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bass — low music
  7. object — to protest
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. march — the month
  12. last — to go on
  13. object — an aim
  14. last — final
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bass — the fish
  23. last — finally
  24. object — a thing

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