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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 · pitch · pass · band · safe · degree · vault

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. degree — an amount
  7. band — a music group
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pass — a permit
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. degree — temperature
  17. vault — a safe
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. band — a ring
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. degree — from a university
  23. rash — a series
  24. pitch — completely

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