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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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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 · clip · cap · ground · band · key · pass · fork

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. clip — a video
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pass — a permit
  9. key — in music
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cap — of ice
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ground — the earth
  14. suit — clothes
  15. ground — a position
  16. band — a ring
  17. key — for a lock
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. suit — to fit
  20. band — a music group
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. clip — to cut

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