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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: hand · pit · bowl · track · swing · pop · pass · foot

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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 — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. foot — a measure
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. pit — in a race
  19. track — a path
  20. pit — a hole
  21. track — to keep track
  22. swing — in golf
  23. track — a song
  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