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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 · mark · pass · bore · squash · cabinet · rest · fork

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bass — low music
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rest — a break
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rest — what's left

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