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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pass — a permit
  3. race — a contest
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cue — a signal
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mate — to breed
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. row — a line
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. race — humankind
  18. pitch — completely
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cue — for pool
  21. race — the arms race
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cue — a hint

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