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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. race — the arms race
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fine — all right
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. race — humankind
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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