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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: pass · race · track · chair · court · file · date · temple

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. file — a document
  3. race — the arms race
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. file — a line of people
  7. court — of a king
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. court — for sport
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. court — of law
  12. file — a tool
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chair — a leader
  16. track — a song
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. track — to keep track
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — a path
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. pass — a permit
  24. date — on the calendar

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