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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 116 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mate — to breed
  5. court — of a king
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. race — a contest
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. court — for sport
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. race — humankind
  23. court — of law
  24. pass — to succeed

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