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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 120 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: present · drill · vault · pass · race · mark

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. present — there
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. drill — army training
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. drill — the tool
  9. race — a contest
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. present — the time now
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. present — a gift
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. race — humankind
  18. drill — a practice

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