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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mark — a trace
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. craft — boats
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pass — a permit
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mark — a grade
  16. craft — a skill
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. track — a path
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. race — the arms race
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. dip — to sink
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. pass — to spend time

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