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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: trunk · game · roll · fine · rock · pass · dip · cue

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rock — music
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. game — a match
  9. roll — a list
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rock — a stone
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. game — wild animals
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. roll — a cake
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fine — all right
  21. dip — to sink
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pass — a permit

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