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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 116 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: pass · land · bay · tear · race · squash · game · bulb

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. game — a match
  5. race — the arms race
  6. land — ground
  7. pass — a permit
  8. land — to come down
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. race — humankind
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tear — from crying
  14. game — wild animals
  15. land — a country
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. squash — to crush
  18. race — a contest
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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