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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. capital — a city
  6. can — a tin
  7. pass — a permit
  8. court — for sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. capital — money
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. net — in sport
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. key — the most important part
  17. court — of a king
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. court — of law
  20. net — for catching
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — in music
  24. can — a tin

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