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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bass — the fish
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bass — low music
  13. bound — obliged
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. march — the month
  16. bound — certain
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pit — in a race
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. march — the month

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