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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · board · pitcher · pound · fan · pass · firm · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pound — a weight
  3. spell — magic
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. firm — steady
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. firm — decided
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spell — letters
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. spell — a short time
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. cue — for pool
  22. firm — a company
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fan — to cool the air

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