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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bat — the animal
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fine — all right
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cue — a signal
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. chip — for betting
  20. key — in music
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mate — a friend

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