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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 120 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: foot · pass · bass · rock · cap · tube · season · fine

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bass — low music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. cap — a hat
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. season — in sport
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rock — a stone
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bass — the fish
  15. tube — a container
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fine — all right
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. tube — the underground
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rock — music
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. fine — a penalty

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