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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: mouse · stick · bat · pass · cap · pitcher · leaves · toast

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bat — the animal
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. leaves — of a tree

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