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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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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: mark · swing · pit · pass · safe · bat · fall · season

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fall — to drop
  7. season — in sport
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bat — the animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fall — the season
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. season — of the year

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