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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 116 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: rock · ball · mine · pass · march · cell · rule · key

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rock — music
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. pass — a permit
  8. march — the month
  9. key — in music
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rule — a law
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cell — a phone
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. ball — a dance
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. ball — a great time
  23. march — music
  24. cell — in biology

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