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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: bass · pit · snap · arm · cabinet · hand · ball · wind

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bass — low music
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hand — help
  16. bass — the fish
  17. ball — a great time
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wind — moving air
  22. snap — to click
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wind — moving air

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