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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. key — in music
  3. suit — to fit
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fine — all right
  8. key — the most important part
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fine — high quality
  12. race — a contest
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. sharp — clever
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pass — a permit
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. suit — in cards
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fine — a penalty

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