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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. spell — a short time
  3. track — a song
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. key — the most important part
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. track — to keep track
  8. spell — magic
  9. mate — a partner
  10. track — a path
  11. spell — letters
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pitch — completely
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pass — a permit
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. key — in music
  23. mate — to breed
  24. key — for a lock

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