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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. suit — clothes
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cell — in biology
  7. key — in music
  8. capital — a city
  9. rush — hurry
  10. suit — to fit
  11. file — a document
  12. cell — a phone
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. file — a tool
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. capital — money
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. suit — in cards
  24. field — for sport

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