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

Word bank: march · key · staff · pass · spell · jam · cap · bat

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. key — in music
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cap — a lid
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. staff — a stick
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bat — the animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. staff — employees
  13. key — for a lock
  14. march — the month
  15. spell — letters
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. march — music
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. key — the most important part
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. march — the month
  24. pass — to succeed

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