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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: march · pass · pit · fine · swing · ball · mouse · cap

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. march — music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. march — the month
  10. pass — a permit
  11. fine — all right
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. swing — music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. march — the month
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. swing — to play on

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