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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: nail · pitcher · mine · pop · band · bass · pass · pit

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a ring
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. band — a music group
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bass — low music
  15. pop — music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pass — a permit
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pop — soda
  24. nail — on a finger

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