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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. scale — in music
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. scale — size or range
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bat — the animal
  14. current — electric
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. drill — army training
  18. current — of water
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hand — help
  23. pass — a permit
  24. ball — a dance

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