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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rush — hurry
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. cold — an illness
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. cue — for pool
  17. land — ground
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. chip — to eat
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cue — a hint

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