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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 120 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: drill · bay · arm · ball · season · race · pass · stick

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. race — a contest
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ball — a dance
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. drill — army training
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. season — of the year
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. season — in sport
  24. bay — a horse colour

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