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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: hand · season · ball · sharp · arm · pass · toast · current

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. ball — a great time
  4. hand — in cards
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. current — of water
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. ball — a dance
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. toast — bread
  12. hand — help
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. season — of the year
  19. current — happening now
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. season — in sport
  22. current — electric
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. sharp — with an edge

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