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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: swing · bowl · pass · cell · bay · present

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. swing — music
  7. present — the time now
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cell — in biology
  12. present — there
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. swing — to play on
  18. present — a gift

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