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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: spring · bass · cap · land · clip · dip · rock · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. land — ground
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. bass — low music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rock — music
  13. clip — for paper
  14. cap — of ice
  15. clip — a video
  16. bass — the fish
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. dip — to sink
  20. cap — a lid
  21. spring — a coil
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rock — a stone
  24. pass — to succeed

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