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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: pass · suit · race · pit · row · bass · band · lean

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. band — a music group
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. lean — thin
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bass — low music
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. lean — to bend
  13. band — a ring
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pit — a hole
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. row — a line
  23. suit — in cards
  24. race — the arms race

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