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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · field · saw · fall · pass · court · dip · hide

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cue — for pool
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fall — to drop
  6. court — for sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fall — the season
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fall — to drop
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. field — for sport
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cue — a hint
  17. field — farmland
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. saw — the tool
  21. field — a subject
  22. pass — a permit
  23. dip — to sink
  24. hide — animal skin

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