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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: pass · bass · kick · drill · wake · bank · content · cue

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pass — a permit
  6. drill — army training
  7. kick — in football
  8. bank — for money
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. drill — the tool
  17. content — the amount
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bass — low music
  24. cue — a signal

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