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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rest — what's left
  6. club — for golf
  7. race — humankind
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rest — a break
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fork — in a road
  12. race — a contest
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pop — music
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. swing — music
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. race — the arms race
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rest — what's left
  24. club — a group

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