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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. key — in music
  3. board — to get on
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. staff — employees
  10. chip — for betting
  11. march — the month
  12. pass — a permit
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. staff — a stick
  17. spell — magic
  18. board — a committee
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. staff — employees
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pass — to spend time

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