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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
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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: net · current · ball · game · trunk · march · pass · staff

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. staff — a stick
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. current — happening now
  5. march — the month
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ball — a dance
  8. staff — employees
  9. current — of water
  10. net — after costs
  11. staff — employees
  12. march — music
  13. game — a match
  14. ball — a great time
  15. current — electric
  16. net — in sport
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. net — for catching
  21. game — wild animals
  22. march — the month
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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