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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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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. wake — a trail
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pass — a permit
  7. chair — a leader
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. cue — for pool

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