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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: race · fan · deal · spell · rush · chair · land · pass

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pass — a permit
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. race — humankind
  9. spell — a short time
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. chair — a leader
  12. spell — magic
  13. land — a country
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. spell — letters
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. land — to come down
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. land — ground
  24. fan — a supporter

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