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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: pass · rule · field · key · chair · track · rash · bass

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rash — hasty
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. field — farmland
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. field — for sport
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. track — a song
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bass — low music
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — government

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