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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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Word bank
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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. track — a path
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. can — a tin
  7. key — for a lock
  8. board — to get on
  9. mine — for digging
  10. can — to be able to
  11. saw — the tool
  12. key — in music
  13. can — a tin
  14. track — a song
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. saw — the tool
  22. board — a committee
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wound — an injury

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