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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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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 · rash · bound · court · plane · pass · current · pitcher

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pass — a permit
  6. court — for sport
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bound — obliged
  10. court — of law
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bound — certain
  13. current — electric
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rash — hasty
  16. current — of water
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. current — happening now
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. court — of a king

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