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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: rush · file · bass · last · pass · swing · calf · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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 — in a race
  2. bass — the fish
  3. swing — to play on
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bass — low music
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. last — to go on
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. file — a document
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. file — a tool
  18. swing — music
  19. last — finally
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pass — a permit
  23. last — final
  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