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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: sharp · ground · wake · key · ball · cell · firm · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. cell — in biology
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. key — for a lock
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. ground — the earth
  12. cell — a phone
  13. key — in music
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ball — a dance
  17. firm — steady
  18. ball — a great time
  19. firm — decided
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. firm — a company
  24. ground — a position

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