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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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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: file · pitch · pass · can · bat · squash · wake · ground

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. can — to be able to
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. file — a document
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. squash — the sport
  13. file — a line of people
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a tool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. can — a tin
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bat — the animal
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wake — a trail
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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