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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chair — a leader
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. squash — to crush
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. nail — for a hammer

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