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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 · kick · club · pitch · bass · pass · root · can

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. can — a tin
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wake — a trail
  8. can — a tin
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. bass — the fish
  12. kick — in football
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. club — for golf
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pass — a permit
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. club — a group
  24. bass — low music

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