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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 116 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pass — a permit
  3. last — final
  4. key — in music
  5. charge — in control
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. last — to go on
  9. key — the most important part
  10. ground — crushed
  11. swing — in golf
  12. ground — a position
  13. swing — music
  14. charge — electricity
  15. last — finally
  16. key — for a lock
  17. charge — a price
  18. pass — to spend time

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