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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 116 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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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: pass · kid · can · bound · swing · tube · chip · bass

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. swing — music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. tube — a container
  5. bound — certain
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. can — a tin
  11. pass — a permit
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bass — low music
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. swing — in golf
  16. chip — to eat
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. chip — for betting
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bound — obliged
  24. kid — child

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