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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: pass · rash · bound · pitch · hide · rock · pop · chest

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bound — certain
  4. pass — a permit
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — music
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pop — soda
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rash — a series
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. chest — a box
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bound — obliged
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pitch — a sports field

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