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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. key — in music
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pass — a permit
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. key — the most important part
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. object — an aim
  18. key — for a lock
  19. object — to protest
  20. bat — the animal
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. object — a thing
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fork — a garden tool

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