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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. content — happy
  6. game — a match
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pass — a permit
  9. race — a contest
  10. mark — a trace
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. hand — help
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mark — a grade
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cue — a hint
  19. content — the amount
  20. race — the arms race
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cue — for pool
  23. race — humankind
  24. cue — a signal

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