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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: key · stick · object · cold · pass · ground · pop · cabinet

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. object — an aim
  5. key — in music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pop — music
  8. cold — not warm
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pop — to visit
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pop — soda
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. object — a thing
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. object — to protest

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