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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: game · key · craft · season · cold · bound · club · pass

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. key — in music
  4. club — a group
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. club — for golf
  13. key — the most important part
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. pass — a permit
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. season — of the year
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bound — tied together
  23. key — for a lock
  24. game — wild animals

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