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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. race — humankind
  4. club — for golf
  5. race — the arms race
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. object — a thing
  8. race — a contest
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. club — a group
  17. object — to protest
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pass — a permit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. date — on the calendar

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