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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chip — for betting
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mate — a friend
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. row — to paddle
  13. band — a music group
  14. mate — a partner
  15. track — a path
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. key — in music
  18. pass — a permit
  19. row — a line
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. key — for a lock
  22. band — a ring
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. track — a song

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