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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 · jam · root · present · cell · bear · date

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. race — the arms race
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pass — a permit
  5. present — the time now
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. present — there
  8. cell — in biology
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. root — the cause
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. root — of a plant
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. root — of a word
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. race — a contest
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. race — humankind
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. jam — a tight spot

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