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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. game — a match
  3. cue — a hint
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. key — the most important part
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. key — in music
  13. snap — to click
  14. cue — for pool
  15. kid — child
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. key — for a lock
  24. coach — a trainer

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