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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 120 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. track — a path
  4. march — the month
  5. present — a gift
  6. can — a tin
  7. march — the month
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pass — a permit
  12. track — a song
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. track — to keep track
  15. race — the arms race
  16. march — music
  17. shower — rain
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. can — to be able to
  24. race — humankind

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