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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: key · pass · craft · track · shower · arm · tube · sharp

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. key — the most important part
  3. track — to keep track
  4. key — in music
  5. shower — rain
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. key — for a lock
  8. craft — boats
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. tube — the underground
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. craft — a skill
  13. track — a path
  14. shower — to wash
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. track — a song
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. arm — part of the body

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