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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 120 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: saw · pass · perch · mug · key · chest · bass · pit

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. chest — of your body
  3. key — in music
  4. bass — low music
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. key — the most important part
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bass — the fish
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pit — in a race
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pass — a permit
  21. chest — of your body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chest — a box
  24. perch — for a bird

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