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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 · bark · court · rash · pass · fork · temple · present

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bass — the fish
  3. court — of a king
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. court — for sport
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. present — the time now
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bark — to shout
  10. present — there
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. fork — in a road
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. present — a gift
  19. bass — low music
  20. rash — hasty
  21. court — of law
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rash — a series
  24. bark — of a tree

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