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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. clip — for paper
  3. key — in music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cap — a lid
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. clip — a video
  11. key — the most important part
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. degree — from a university
  16. clip — to cut
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cap — a hat
  23. ball — a dance
  24. degree — temperature

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