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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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Word bank
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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: craft · pass · pit · clip · cell · race

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. clip — for paper
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. race — a contest
  10. clip — a video
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cell — a phone
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. clip — to cut
  17. craft — boats
  18. race — humankind

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