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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. race — a contest
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — a phone
  9. drill — the tool
  10. capital — money
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mark — a grade
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. capital — a city
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. drill — a practice
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. drill — army training
  23. content — happy
  24. mark — a trace

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