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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: mate · bass · current · ball · arm · pass · dip · last

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mate — a partner
  3. last — final
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. current — electric
  7. last — to go on
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bass — low music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. last — finally
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bass — the fish
  16. current — of water
  17. mate — to breed
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. current — happening now
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bass — the instrument

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