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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 · toast · mark · march · racket · cell · pass · saw

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. march — music
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. cell — in biology
  5. toast — bread
  6. cell — a phone
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mark — a trace
  10. saw — the tool
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. race — a contest
  18. march — the month
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. saw — the tool
  22. march — the month
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. racket — for tennis

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