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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cell — in biology
  7. march — the month
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — a friend
  10. march — the month
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. march — music
  15. chair — a leader
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. key — in music
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. key — for a lock
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bass — low music

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