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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: pass · bass · fan · stem · suit · bat · cabinet · hand

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bass — low music
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. suit — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pass — a permit
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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