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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: pass · can · ball · deal · toast · chest · row · arm

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. row — a line
  3. ball — a great time
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. can — a tin
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. chest — of your body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. toast — bread
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. deal — to handle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chest — of your body
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chest — a box
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. can — to be able to
  19. row — to paddle
  20. ball — a dance
  21. can — a tin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. deal — a big deal

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