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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pit — in a race
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mate — a partner
  10. season — in sport
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pit — a hole
  14. ground — the earth
  15. season — of the year
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ground — a position
  19. key — in music
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. season — to add flavour

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