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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. file — a document
  5. board — to get on
  6. cue — a signal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. row — a line
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. row — to paddle
  15. file — a tool
  16. game — a match
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rest — what's left
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rest — what's left
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rest — a break

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