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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. net — after costs
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mug — to rob
  5. perch — the fish
  6. net — for catching
  7. plane — a tool
  8. race — humankind
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. net — in sport
  12. pass — a permit
  13. race — a contest
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. race — the arms race
  24. plane — an aircraft

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