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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. key — in music
  3. pass — a permit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. race — a contest
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. season — in sport
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. key — for a lock
  11. date — the fruit
  12. season — of the year
  13. press — a publisher
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. press — newspapers
  16. race — the arms race
  17. key — the most important part
  18. net — in sport
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. race — humankind
  22. net — after costs
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. net — for catching

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