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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: root · bass · pass · rock · chip · season · file · cap

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. root — of a plant
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chip — to eat
  7. root — the cause
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rock — music
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. file — a tool
  13. season — of the year
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bass — the fish
  16. root — of a word
  17. file — a document
  18. season — in sport
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bass — low music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. cap — of ice

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