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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 · key · snap · cue · field · charge · game · trunk

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. charge — in control
  3. field — a subject
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. key — in music
  6. field — for sport
  7. cue — for pool
  8. key — the most important part
  9. snap — to click
  10. pass — a permit
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cue — a signal
  14. game — a match
  15. cue — a hint
  16. charge — electricity
  17. game — wild animals
  18. key — for a lock
  19. field — farmland
  20. charge — a price
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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