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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fine — all right
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wound — an injury
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — a law
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. key — in music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rule — government

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