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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ground — a position
  4. capital — money
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. cold — not warm
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rash — a series
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. ground — crushed
  15. key — the most important part
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. capital — a city
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. key — in music

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