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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · net · tube · snap · pass · coach · can · court

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tube — the underground
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. court — of a king
  9. net — for catching
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. net — after costs
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. court — for sport
  15. tube — a container
  16. court — of law
  17. net — in sport
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. can — a tin
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. snap — to click

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