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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: pass · cold · snap · bat · bass · racket · root · suit

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pass — a permit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. root — of a word
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bass — low music
  18. root — of a plant
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. root — the cause
  22. snap — to click
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — not warm

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