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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pop — soda
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pass — a permit
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bass — low music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pop — music
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pitcher — a jug

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