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

Word bank: swing · pitcher · fall · pass · ball · cold · pit · rock

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rock — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cold — not warm
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cold — an illness
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pit — a hole
  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