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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 · fine · present · drill · pass · hide · toast · jam

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pass — a permit
  3. race — a contest
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. race — the arms race
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. drill — army training
  13. present — the time now
  14. drill — the tool
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. drill — a practice
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. present — there
  20. toast — bread
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fine — high quality
  23. race — humankind
  24. fine — all right

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