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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: deal · band · ball · pass · rash · season · net · swing

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. net — after costs
  4. season — in sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. net — for catching
  8. ball — a dance
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ball — a great time
  11. band — a ring
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. season — of the year
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. net — in sport
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. swing — music
  23. band — a music group
  24. swing — in golf

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