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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fork — in a road
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. race — humankind
  8. mug — a cup
  9. race — a contest
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mug — a face
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. craft — boats
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mug — to rob
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a great time

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