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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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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 · race · present · roll · fork · toast · mate · chair

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mate — a partner
  6. roll — a cake
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mate — a friend
  10. race — humankind
  11. present — a gift
  12. roll — a list
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. race — a contest
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. present — there
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. mate — to breed
  24. present — the time now

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