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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rock — music
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cell — a phone
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. key — in music
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. hand — in cards
  11. key — the most important part
  12. board — to get on
  13. cell — in biology
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rock — a stone
  16. charge — electricity
  17. board — a committee
  18. pass — a permit
  19. charge — in control
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. key — for a lock
  22. charge — a price
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. hand — help

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