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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: coach · plane · cue · pass · pound · content · face · key

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pound — a weight
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. face — part of the head
  5. key — for a lock
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pass — a permit
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cue — a signal
  15. face — to point toward
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cue — a hint
  18. face — to confront
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. content — happy
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cue — for pool
  24. content — the amount

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