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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: last · race · mate · swing · roll · court · pit · present

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. present — there
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. mate — to breed
  5. court — for sport
  6. present — the time now
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mate — a friend
  10. swing — to play on
  11. court — of a king
  12. last — to go on
  13. mate — a partner
  14. roll — a list
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. roll — a cake
  19. race — humankind
  20. last — final
  21. present — a gift
  22. court — of law
  23. swing — music
  24. last — finally

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