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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: suit · mug · game · pound · field · lash · fork · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. fork — in a road
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. field — for sport
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mug — to rob
  13. field — farmland
  14. suit — to fit
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mug — a face
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. suit — in cards
  19. field — a subject
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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