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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: ball · pitcher · hand · staff · drill · pass · cabinet · game

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. staff — employees
  4. pass — a permit
  5. staff — employees
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. drill — a practice
  11. hand — help
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. game — a match
  14. drill — army training
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. game — wild animals
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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