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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · object · land · craft · key · date · chair · wind

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wind — moving air
  3. land — a country
  4. key — in music
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wind — moving air
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pass — a permit
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. craft — a skill
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. key — for a lock
  20. object — to protest
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. key — the most important part

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