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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: net · race · date · mug · cabinet · track · lean · pass

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pass — a permit
  4. track — a song
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. net — after costs
  7. mug — a cup
  8. track — a path
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. net — in sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. net — for catching
  15. mug — a face
  16. track — to keep track
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lean — thin
  20. race — humankind
  21. lean — to bend
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. race — a contest

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