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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pass — a permit
  3. row — a line
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ball — a great time
  7. key — in music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ball — a dance
  10. row — to paddle
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bass — the fish
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bass — low music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pass — to succeed

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