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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: cue · pitch · saw · wax · pit · pass · ball · swing

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. swing — music
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pass — a permit
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pitch — completely
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pit — a hole
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pit — in a race

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