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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cue — a signal
  5. charge — a price
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. kid — child
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. charge — electricity
  13. face — to confront
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. kid — to tease
  16. face — to point toward
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pitch — completely
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. charge — in control
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mark — a grade

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