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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cue — a signal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cue — for pool
  8. swing — to play on
  9. last — final
  10. chip — to eat
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. last — finally
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. swing — in golf
  16. chip — for betting
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. swing — music
  24. last — to go on

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