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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 116 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 · lie · bat · pitch · straw · race · squash · track

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pass — a permit
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. race — a contest
  11. bat — the animal
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lie — to recline
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. track — a path
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. squash — to crush
  24. race — humankind

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