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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: pit · rash · saw · pitcher · press · pass · rest · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. press — to push
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rash — a series
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rest — what's left

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