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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 124 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ground — crushed
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. ground — a position
  7. clip — to cut
  8. ground — the earth
  9. staff — employees
  10. pop — to visit
  11. key — in music
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pop — soda
  16. staff — employees
  17. content — happy
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. content — the amount
  23. key — the most important part
  24. present — the time now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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