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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. file — a document
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pop — music
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pass — a permit
  14. ball — a great time
  15. drill — army training
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. file — a tool
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. row — a line
  21. ball — a dance
  22. file — a line of people
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pass — to succeed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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