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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 120 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: rush · board · pass · band · chest · scale · can · key

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. key — for a lock
  3. chest — a box
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. board — to get on
  9. scale — in music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rush — hurry
  16. can — a tin
  17. band — a ring
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. board — a committee
  21. can — to be able to
  22. key — in music
  23. can — a tin
  24. pass — a permit

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