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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · toast · pass · fine · spring · bark · race · roll

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. roll — a list
  3. toast — bread
  4. roll — a cake
  5. race — the arms race
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bark — to shout
  10. race — humankind
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. game — a match
  13. race — a contest
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. spring — a coil
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pass — to spend time

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