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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: date · band · object · land · pass · pit · bear · race

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. race — the arms race
  5. land — a country
  6. race — a contest
  7. object — a thing
  8. pit — in a race
  9. object — an aim
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. land — ground
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. pit — a hole
  19. land — to come down
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. race — humankind
  22. bear — the animal
  23. object — to protest
  24. band — a rubber band

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