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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. club — a group
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. ground — the earth
  7. firm — a company
  8. key — for a lock
  9. firm — steady
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ground — crushed
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chest — a box
  15. ground — a position
  16. chest — of your body
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. club — for golf
  21. firm — decided
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. key — in music
  24. track — a path

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