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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: pound · chest · hand · bass · snap · ball · scale · pass

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. scale — in music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. ball — a great time
  10. chest — a box
  11. bass — low music
  12. snap — to click
  13. hand — in cards
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bass — the fish
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. ball — a dance
  23. chest — of your body
  24. scale — size or range

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