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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · rock · bass · pit · bat · mark · saw · cell

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mug — a face
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rock — music
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mark — a grade
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bass — low music
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rock — a stone
  24. saw — the tool

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