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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: chip · pop · pass · root · fall · bass · stick · lean

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lean — thin
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pop — soda
  11. bass — low music
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fall — the season
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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