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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: trunk · field · key · content · pop · mate · pass · cabinet

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. content — the amount
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mate — a partner
  13. key — in music
  14. field — a subject
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pass — a permit
  20. content — happy
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pop — music
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pop — soda

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