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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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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: mouse · lie · pass · bat · roll · swing · pit · band

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. swing — music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. swing — to play on
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. roll — a list
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. band — a ring
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pit — in a race
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bat — the animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. band — a music group
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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