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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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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: ground · track · present · pass · mug · chest · race · tear

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. race — a contest
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mug — to rob
  10. ground — the earth
  11. chest — of your body
  12. track — a path
  13. present — the time now
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mug — a cup
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mug — a face
  18. tear — to rip
  19. chest — of your body
  20. race — humankind
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chest — a box
  23. ground — a position
  24. tear — from crying

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