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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: rock · bass · swing · net · chip · pass · shower · mate

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. net — for catching
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. net — in sport
  13. swing — to play on
  14. shower — rain
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bass — low music
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mate — a friend
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rock — a stone
  22. shower — to wash
  23. swing — in golf
  24. net — after costs

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