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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: season · straw · deal · foot · bass · pass · land · nail

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bass — the fish
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. season — of the year
  13. foot — a measure
  14. season — in sport
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. land — ground
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. land — a country
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. land — to come down
  22. pass — a permit
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pass — to spend time

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