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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. face — to point toward
  11. game — a match
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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