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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rest — a break
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rest — what's left
  5. race — a contest
  6. rest — what's left
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. content — the amount
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. season — of the year
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. season — in sport
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. race — humankind
  21. content — happy
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bear — the animal

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