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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. roll — a list
  4. pop — soda
  5. key — in music
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pass — a permit
  9. season — of the year
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. season — in sport
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pop — 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