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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bank — for money
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. key — for a lock
  8. band — a music group
  9. pass — a permit
  10. last — finally
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. bound — obliged
  14. last — to go on
  15. firm — steady
  16. key — in music
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bound — certain
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. key — the most important part

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