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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. plane — a tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mate — a friend
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. can — a tin
  11. wind — moving air
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. game — wild animals
  14. key — in music
  15. mate — to breed
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — a permit
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wind — moving air
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. racket — a loud noise

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