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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: pass · field · pop · racket · saw · bowl · straw · pit

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pop — soda
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. field — a subject
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pass — a permit
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. field — for sport
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pop — music
  19. field — farmland
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pop — to visit
  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