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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: arm · pass · net · mine · sharp · mark · key · coach

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. net — for catching
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. net — in sport
  14. key — for a lock
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mark — a trace
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pass — a permit
  23. net — after costs
  24. mine — for digging

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