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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: bass · game · vault · bulb · pop · row · last · pass

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. game — a match
  3. last — to go on
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pop — music
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. last — finally
  19. pop — to visit
  20. row — a line
  21. pop — soda
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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