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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. field — for sport
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. face — to confront
  13. hand — help
  14. face — to point toward
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. field — a subject
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — farmland
  22. cue — a hint
  23. can — to be able to
  24. hand — part of the body

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