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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wake — a trail
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. land — a country
  8. capital — a city
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. land — ground
  14. deal — to handle
  15. capital — money
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. land — to come down
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. squash — the sport
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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