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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: ball · pass · stand · net · pit · cell · club · arm

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. net — for catching
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. net — in sport
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pass — a permit
  14. net — after costs
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pit — in a race

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