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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mug — a cup
  4. swing — to play on
  5. race — a contest
  6. squash — the sport
  7. race — the arms race
  8. squash — to crush
  9. season — of the year
  10. pass — a permit
  11. track — a song
  12. mug — to rob
  13. race — humankind
  14. mug — a face
  15. swing — music
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. track — a path
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. track — to keep track
  21. season — in sport
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. swing — in golf

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