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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. capital — a city
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mug — a cup
  5. capital — money
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — bread
  8. mug — a face
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. mug — to rob
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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