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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. mate — to breed
  5. capital — a city
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. tube — the underground
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. tube — a container
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. craft — a skill
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bulb — for light
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. craft — boats
  19. sharp — clever
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mate — a friend
  24. capital — money

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