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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 120 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: mark · pass · race · sharp · nail · court · suit · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. race — humankind
  4. suit — to fit
  5. race — a contest
  6. court — of law
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mark — a trace
  11. court — for sport
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pass — a permit
  15. court — of a king
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. suit — clothes
  18. sharp — clever
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. suit — in cards
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. race — the arms race

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