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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: stick · jam · staff · ground · pass · bass · capital · chair

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bass — low music
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bass — the fish
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chair — a leader
  13. staff — employees
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. staff — employees
  24. ground — the earth

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