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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. degree — an amount
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. stand — to bear
  8. degree — temperature
  9. key — the most important part
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. track — a song
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. key — in music
  20. degree — from a university
  21. track — a path
  22. pop — soda
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stand — for spectators

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