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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 116 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: pass · cue · chair · ball · march · plane · object · pop

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pop — music
  5. cue — for pool
  6. chair — a leader
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pass — a permit
  10. march — the month
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pop — to visit
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. pop — soda
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cue — a signal
  19. object — to protest
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ball — a great time
  22. plane — a tool
  23. march — music
  24. ball — a dance

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