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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 · present · pass · staff · fine · charge · season · pit

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fine — high quality
  3. charge — a price
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. charge — in control
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. present — there
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. race — a contest
  14. present — the time now
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. present — a gift
  18. pit — in a race
  19. race — humankind
  20. season — in sport
  21. fine — all right
  22. season — of the year
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. charge — electricity

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