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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · file · ground · bass · rock · stick · can · wake

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. wake — a trail
  3. file — a document
  4. ground — a position
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. file — a tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rock — a stone
  16. can — a tin
  17. rock — music
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pass — a permit
  23. file — a line of people
  24. ground — crushed

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