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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: chair · bass · pass · bear · safe · cap · root · bark

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. root — of a word
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bear — the animal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bass — low music
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. root — of a plant
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. root — the cause

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