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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: arm · spell · pass · march · bass · ruler · court · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. pop — soda
  2. pass — a permit
  3. march — the month
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pop — music
  6. court — of a king
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. spell — letters
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pop — to visit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. spell — magic
  17. court — of law
  18. march — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. court — for sport
  21. spell — a short time
  22. march — the month
  23. pass — to spend time
  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