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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.

Words on the sheet
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: foot · bear · bowl · jam · wake · bass · bat · pass

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bass — low music
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bear — the animal
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bowl — a football final

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