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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. field — a subject
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lean — to bend
  5. key — the most important part
  6. land — to come down
  7. field — for sport
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. lean — thin
  10. land — a country
  11. pit — a hole
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ball — a dance
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. land — ground
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. key — in music
  23. field — farmland
  24. snap — to click

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