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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pass — a permit
  3. face — to confront
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. file — a document
  7. bat — the animal
  8. dip — to sink
  9. fine — high quality
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cue — for pool
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fine — all right
  16. file — a line of people
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. file — a tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cue — a hint

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