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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: fork · cue · pitcher · can · pass · firm · scale · last

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. firm — decided
  2. last — final
  3. scale — size or range
  4. firm — a company
  5. cue — a signal
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fork — in a road
  10. can — a tin
  11. firm — steady
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cue — a hint
  16. can — a tin
  17. last — to go on
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. scale — in music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. last — finally
  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