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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pit — in a race
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pop — soda
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. content — the amount
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pop — music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pass — a permit
  17. race — the arms race
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pit — a hole
  20. content — happy
  21. race — humankind
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. key — in music
  24. pop — to visit

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