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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. race — a contest
  5. roll — a cake
  6. field — farmland
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. staff — employees
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pass — a permit
  13. race — the arms race
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. field — a subject
  18. race — humankind
  19. swing — to play on
  20. field — for sport
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. staff — employees
  23. roll — a list
  24. staff — a stick

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