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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: club · wind · dip · last · pass · arm · pitcher · stand

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. last — final
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pass — a permit
  16. club — for golf
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. club — a group
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. arm — part of the body

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