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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: rest · straw · jam · pit · hand · mouse · pass · cap

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pit — a hole
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rest — a break
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cap — of ice
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. hand — help
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pit — in a race
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rest — what's left

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