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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: staff · sharp · jam · race · fan · roll · pass · deal

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. roll — a list
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. sharp — clever
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. race — humankind
  16. roll — a cake
  17. staff — employees
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. staff — employees

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