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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: pass · race · vault · pop · band · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. race — a contest
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. vault — a safe
  12. toast — bread
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. race — humankind
  15. pop — music
  16. pass — a permit
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pass — to spend time

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