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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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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: firm · net · coach · arm · pass · scale · wind · race

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. scale — in music
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. net — for catching
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. race — a contest
  11. net — after costs
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. net — in sport
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wind — moving air
  16. firm — steady
  17. wind — moving air
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. scale — size or range
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. arm — part of the body

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