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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bass — low music
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spring — the season
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. race — humankind
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. staff — employees
  22. spring — of water
  23. bass — the fish
  24. race — the arms race

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