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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pit — in a race
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pit — a hole
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. face — to confront
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bound — certain
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bound — obliged
  19. band — a ring
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bound — tied together
  24. band — a music group

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