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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cap — a hat
  3. key — for a lock
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. staff — employees
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bound — certain
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pass — a permit
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bound — tied together
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bound — obliged
  20. staff — employees
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pit — in a race
  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