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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — the most important part
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. track — a path
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. scale — in music
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. present — there
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. present — a gift
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. key — in music

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