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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cue — a hint
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cap — of ice
  7. field — for sport
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cap — a lid
  10. field — farmland
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cue — for pool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bound — obliged
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pass — a permit
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bound — certain
  21. field — a subject
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. chip — to eat

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