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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. race — a contest
  4. press — a publisher
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rule — government
  7. suit — to fit
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rule — a law
  10. track — a path
  11. mine — for digging
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. press — newspapers
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. press — to push
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. suit — clothes
  24. rule — to rule out

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