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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. key — in music
  4. pass — a permit
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bound — tied together
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. branch — a division
  11. bound — certain
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bound — obliged
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. kid — to tease
  18. sharp — clever
  19. kid — child
  20. ground — a position
  21. game — a match
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. game — wild animals
  24. key — for a lock

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