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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: race · pass · bat · calf · staff · present

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. present — there
  4. staff — employees
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. race — humankind
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. staff — employees
  15. pass — a permit
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. calf — a young animal

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