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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: arm · net · degree · pass · hand · ruler · current · cap

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. degree — from a university
  3. cap — of ice
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hand — help
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. cap — a hat
  11. net — in sport
  12. current — happening now
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. net — for catching
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. degree — temperature
  21. net — after costs
  22. hand — in cards
  23. cap — a lid
  24. degree — an amount

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