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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. race — a contest
  2. last — final
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. court — of a king
  9. last — to go on
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rock — a stone
  13. last — finally
  14. race — humankind
  15. court — of law
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mate — a friend
  18. court — for sport
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rock — music
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stem — of a plant
  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