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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: ball · calf · pass · current · fine · bat · cap · spring

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. fine — all right
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. current — electric
  13. spring — of water
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fine — high quality
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cap — of ice
  18. ball — a dance
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. current — of water
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. calf — a young animal

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