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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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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: ball · bat · nail · pound · arm · pit · tube · pass

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pit — in a race
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. tube — a container
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pit — a hole
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pass — a permit
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ball — a dance

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