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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. key — for a lock
  10. game — a match
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. present — a gift
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. present — the time now
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. present — there

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