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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ball — a dance
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mark — a trace
  8. charge — a price
  9. key — for a lock
  10. prune — to trim
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. sharp — clever
  13. charge — electricity
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — a container
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mark — a grade
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. charge — in control
  23. pass — a permit
  24. key — in 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