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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: net · rock · pass · chip · game · root · capital · track

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. track — a song
  3. net — in sport
  4. root — of a word
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — money
  7. rock — music
  8. net — after costs
  9. capital — a city
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. rock — a stone
  13. root — the cause
  14. chip — for betting
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. net — for catching
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. root — of a plant

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