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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cue — a hint
  5. face — to confront
  6. pitch — completely
  7. face — part of the head
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. face — to point toward
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rock — music
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wake — a trail
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rock — a stone
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pitch — a sports field

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