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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 · track · board · fan · snap · bat · fall · pit

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. track — a song
  4. fall — to drop
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. board — a committee
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fall — the season
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. track — a path
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. track — to keep track
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. board — to get on
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — the animal

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