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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. last — finally
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pass — a permit
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. last — final
  12. rock — a stone
  13. last — to go on
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. key — in music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. branch — a division
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. racket — a loud noise

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