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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · pass · land · temple · pit · mouse · bark · pitcher

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. scale — in music
  9. land — a country
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. scale — size or range
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. land — to come down
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. land — ground
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pit — in a race

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