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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. charge — a price
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. key — for a lock
  7. charge — electricity
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mine — for digging
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pass — a permit
  14. key — in music
  15. charge — in control
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. track — a song
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. track — a path
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. squash — the 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