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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 116 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: pitcher · wind · pit · mark · calf · rush · swing · pass

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. swing — music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mark — a grade
  14. swing — to play on
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. calf — of the leg

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