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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 120 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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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: face · track · root · rule · fine · fork · pass · cue

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. track — a song
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fine — all right
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. face — to confront
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rule — government
  13. face — part of the head
  14. track — to keep track
  15. root — the cause
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. root — of a plant
  20. track — a path
  21. fork — in a road
  22. root — of a word
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cue — a hint

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