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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bound — certain
  4. mine — for digging
  5. key — for a lock
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. key — in music
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. field — farmland
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bound — obliged
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. field — for sport
  18. mate — to breed
  19. field — a subject
  20. mate — a partner
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. key — the most important part

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