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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. key — for a lock
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. spring — a coil
  8. swing — in golf
  9. clip — to cut
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. craft — a skill
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. spring — the season
  15. clip — for paper
  16. craft — boats
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pass — a permit
  20. spring — of water
  21. mate — a partner
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. clip — a video

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