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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 · rush · content · pass · field · trunk · sharp · rock

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rock — a stone
  8. sharp — clever
  9. field — for sport
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rock — music
  14. content — the amount
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. content — happy
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bass — low music
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. bass — the fish

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