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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pass — a permit
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rule — a law
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rule — government
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. land — ground
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. cap — a hat
  12. tube — a container
  13. key — in music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. land — to come down
  16. craft — boats
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. roll — a list
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. key — for a lock
  23. land — a country
  24. craft — a skill

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