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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pass — a permit
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. game — a match
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. fine — high quality
  9. field — farmland
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. field — a subject
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. field — for sport
  17. fine — all right
  18. key — for a lock
  19. game — wild animals
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. snap — to click

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