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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 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. board — a committee
  6. field — for sport
  7. board — to get on
  8. field — farmland
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. field — a subject
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cue — a signal

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