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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: pass · ground · wind · bat · mug · kick · date · jam

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mug — a face
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pass — a permit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. kick — in football
  10. wind — moving air
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. ground — the earth
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wind — moving air
  24. jam — in traffic

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