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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. clip — to cut
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stock — shares
  5. bound — tied together
  6. key — in music
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pass — a permit
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. clip — a video
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bound — certain
  18. stock — goods

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