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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: pit · race · ruler · fan · pass · cell · ground · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pass — a permit
  4. race — a contest
  5. cell — a phone
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. march — the month
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. march — music
  23. race — humankind
  24. cell — in biology

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