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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. race — a contest
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. race — the arms race
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. ball — a dance
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stand — to bear
  14. spell — a short time
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. race — humankind
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fork — in a road
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. deal — to handle

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