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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
468
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: toast · field · band · object · pass · sharp · arm · last

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. field — farmland
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. band — a music group
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. object — an aim
  7. sharp — clever
  8. last — finally
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. object — to protest
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. last — final
  20. band — a ring
  21. last — to go on
  22. object — a thing
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pass — a permit

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