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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: ball · staff · last · bat · current · swing · dip · pass

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bat — the animal
  4. current — happening now
  5. last — to go on
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. current — of water
  8. swing — music
  9. dip — to sink
  10. swing — to play on
  11. current — electric
  12. staff — employees
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. ball — a dance
  18. staff — a stick
  19. last — final
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. last — finally
  23. ball — a great time
  24. staff — employees

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