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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. march — the month
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fall — to drop
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pass — a permit
  12. face — part of the head
  13. march — music
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — in music
  18. face — to confront
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fall — to drop
  24. march — the month

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