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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: can · pass · cap · pitch · straw · sharp · arm · bat

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. can — a tin
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. can — a tin

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