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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: suit · pass · key · march · chest · chip · snap · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. key — for a lock
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chest — of your body
  9. march — music
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. key — in music
  14. chest — a box
  15. march — the month
  16. key — the most important part
  17. suit — clothes
  18. snap — to click
  19. mug — to rob
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pass — a permit
  23. march — the month
  24. suit — in cards

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