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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: bowl · sharp · bass · pass · pitch · pit · swing · drill

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. drill — the tool
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pass — a permit
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. swing — music
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. swing — in golf
  21. drill — army training
  22. pit — a hole
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pass — to spend time

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