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

Word bank: pass · arm · bat · pop · bowl · pit · cue · branch

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. branch — a division
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cue — a hint
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bat — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pass — a permit
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bowl — a dish

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