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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 can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fork — in a road
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. march — music
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. march — the month
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. march — the month
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mug — a face
  22. key — in music
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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