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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.

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: pop · cell · roll · foot · bore · pitch · dip · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cell — in biology
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. roll — a list
  10. pop — music
  11. dip — to sink
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bore — to tire
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pop — soda
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pop — to visit
  24. foot — the bottom

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