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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: pass · pitcher · clip · key · cabinet · sharp · shower · content

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. shower — to wash
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. clip — a video
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. content — happy
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. clip — to cut
  14. content — the amount
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. key — for a lock
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. shower — rain
  24. key — in music

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