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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mark — a grade
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. suit — clothes
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. spell — magic
  24. key — in music

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