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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · pass · saw · suit · dip · fall · bass · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pass — a permit
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. game — a match
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. saw — the tool
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fall — the season
  13. bass — low music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. suit — clothes
  22. dip — to sink
  23. game — wild animals
  24. suit — to fit

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