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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.

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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: wake · band · pass · root · chip · pit · season · spell

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. season — in sport
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. root — of a word
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. wake — a trail
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pit — a hole
  14. spell — magic
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. season — of the year
  21. root — the cause
  22. pit — in a race
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spell — letters

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