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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: lash · mate · hide · mark · pit · jam · bass · march

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bass — the fish
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. march — music
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pit — a hole
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. march — the month
  18. bass — low music
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pit — in a race
  23. march — the month
  24. hide — to keep secret

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