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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bound — tied together
  5. present — the time now
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. present — a gift
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. key — in music
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. press — newspapers
  18. key — the most important part
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. present — there
  24. press — to push

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