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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. branch — a division
  6. pit — a hole
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. squash — to crush
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wound — an injury
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pit — in a race
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pass — to spend time

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