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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 116 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: swing · pit · bear · bass · pass · object · calf · cold

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. pit — in a race
  5. swing — music
  6. object — a thing
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cold — not warm
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. object — to protest
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. swing — to play on
  22. object — an aim
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bear — the animal

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