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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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Word bank
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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: pass · can · rash · band · pitcher · stick · face · mark

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. band — a music group
  5. face — part of the head
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. face — to confront
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. band — a ring
  16. face — to point toward
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mark — a grade
  21. can — a tin
  22. rash — a series
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rash — hasty

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