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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: spring · mug · pit · band · bass · pitcher · pass · scale

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. band — a music group
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bass — low music
  8. mug — a face
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mug — to rob
  11. spring — of water
  12. pit — in a race
  13. spring — the season
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bass — the fish
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. pit — a hole
  24. band — a ring

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