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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: bass · arm · march · pass · board · race · staff · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bass — low music
  7. pass — a permit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. race — humankind
  10. march — music
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. race — a contest
  13. bass — the fish
  14. march — the month
  15. board — a committee
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — a break
  18. staff — employees
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. board — to get on
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. staff — a stick
  23. march — the month
  24. pass — to spend time

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