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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: game · race · toast · firm · sharp · pass · pit · racket

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. game — wild animals
  3. race — a contest
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. race — the arms race
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. race — humankind
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pit — a hole
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. sharp — clever
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. game — a match
  20. pit — in a race
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pass — a permit
  24. firm — steady

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