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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bound — certain
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bound — obliged
  8. scale — in music
  9. pass — a permit
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cell — in biology
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. row — a line
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. track — a path
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rush — hurry
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. bound — tied together

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