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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: roll · bowl · rush · fall · squash · pit · pass · club

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rush — hurry
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. squash — the sport
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. fall — to drop
  20. roll — a list
  21. pass — a permit
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fall — the season

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