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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: wake · ground · pit · chair · coach · temple · race · pass

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. race — a contest
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. race — the arms race
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chair — a leader
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. ground — a position
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. chair — a professorship

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