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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. season — of the year
  7. race — humankind
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cue — a signal
  12. season — in sport
  13. shower — rain
  14. date — the fruit
  15. shower — to wash
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cue — a hint
  19. race — a contest
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cue — for pool
  23. club — a group
  24. pass — a permit

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