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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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. safe — a strongbox
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pit — a hole
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. bulb — for light
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — a song
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pit — in a race
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. key — for a lock
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. race — a contest
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. race — humankind
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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