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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. row — a line
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cue — a signal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cue — for pool
  9. tube — a container
  10. face — to confront
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pound — a weight
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. game — a match
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stock — goods

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