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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bass — the fish
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pass — a permit
  6. key — in music
  7. bass — low music
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. season — in sport
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. season — of the year
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pass — to spend time

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