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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. scale — in music
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. key — the most important part
  5. track — to keep track
  6. march — music
  7. track — a song
  8. march — the month
  9. can — a tin
  10. march — the month
  11. clip — to cut
  12. can — to be able to
  13. key — in music
  14. clip — a video
  15. key — for a lock
  16. track — a path
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pass — a permit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. scale — size or range
  22. clip — for paper
  23. can — a tin
  24. nail — for a hammer

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