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

Word bank: staff · swing · pass · stick · race · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. swing — music
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. staff — employees
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. race — humankind
  8. pass — a permit
  9. game — a match
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. swing — in golf
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. race — the arms race
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. race — a contest
  18. swing — to play on

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