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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pop — music
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pop — soda
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. suit — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ground — crushed
  12. key — in music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hand — help
  18. band — a ring
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. ground — a position
  22. pass — a permit
  23. band — a music group
  24. hand — in cards

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