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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 · scale · pass · coach · bay · jam · pound · mine

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — a contest
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mine — for digging
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. race — humankind
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. scale — size or range
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. scale — in music

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