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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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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: tear · bat · pit · lean · bowl · cue · pass · rock

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lean — thin
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pass — a permit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rock — music
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lean — to bend
  23. tear — to rip
  24. rock — to move gently

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