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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. court — for sport
  6. file — a document
  7. race — humankind
  8. key — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. pass — a permit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pop — to visit
  16. court — of a king
  17. race — a contest
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. race — the arms race
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. court — of law

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