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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. suit — in cards
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. march — music
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. spring — of water
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spring — the season
  13. march — the month
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. march — the month
  19. pass — a permit
  20. key — for a lock
  21. spring — a coil
  22. drill — the tool
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bowl — a football final

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