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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · wake · pass · race · pit · present

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. race — a contest
  4. present — the time now
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. present — there
  7. pit — a hole
  8. race — the arms race
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. present — a gift
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. race — humankind
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wake — a trail
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pass — a permit

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