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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 120 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. march — the month
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. can — a tin
  11. pit — a hole
  12. can — to be able to
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cap — a lid
  16. march — music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pit — in a race
  19. march — the month
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. can — a tin
  23. cap — of ice
  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