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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: pass · pitcher · date · hand · net · rule · face · rush

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. face — to confront
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rule — a law
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. face — to point toward
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hand — help
  22. date — the fruit
  23. net — in sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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