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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bound — tied together
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bound — certain
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cue — for pool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pass — to spend time

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