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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: staff · racket · temple · pass · sharp · present · roll · pop

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pop — to visit
  3. staff — employees
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. staff — a stick
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pop — soda
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. present — there
  12. pass — a permit
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. present — a gift
  15. pop — music
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. present — the time now
  23. staff — employees
  24. sharp — exactly

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