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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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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: game · patient · pass · deal · plane · rest · race · can

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. can — a tin
  3. pass — a permit
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rest — what's left
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rest — what's left
  11. can — a tin
  12. game — a match
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. race — a contest
  15. deal — to handle
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. race — humankind
  18. plane — a tool
  19. game — wild animals
  20. race — the arms race
  21. can — to be able to
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. patient — a sick person

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