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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 116 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: spell · cap · pass · branch · bass · stick · game · ground

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ground — the earth
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pass — a permit
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spell — letters
  18. bass — low music
  19. ground — a position
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. branch — a division
  22. ground — crushed
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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