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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: season · rock · bat · march · chest · cue · present · pass

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cue — for pool
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. rock — music
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. chest — a box
  10. present — there
  11. pass — a permit
  12. present — the time now
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. chest — of your body
  21. march — the month
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. cue — a signal

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