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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: saw · sharp · squash · pass · pit · ball · coach · chest

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ball — a great time
  6. chest — of your body
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. sharp — clever
  9. squash — the sport
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pit — a hole
  20. chest — a box
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. ball — a dance
  24. coach — a trainer

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