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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · bulb · season · pass · arm · field · rest · game

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. field — a subject
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. season — in sport
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. field — for sport
  8. bulb — for light
  9. game — a match
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. season — of the year
  13. field — farmland
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bank — for money

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