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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: swing · mouse · rock · pass · present · hide · court · bat

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pass — a permit
  6. court — of a king
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bat — the animal
  13. rock — music
  14. present — the time now
  15. swing — in golf
  16. present — a gift
  17. court — for sport
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. court — of law
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. swing — music
  22. present — there
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mouse — for a computer

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