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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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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: roll · pass · stem · cap · kid · bass

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. roll — a cake
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. roll — a list
  9. cap — a hat
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. kid — to tease
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pass — a permit
  16. kid — child
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stem — a stem cell

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