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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: cue · pass · kid · bound · file · pitcher · face · cell

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. file — a tool
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bound — certain
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bound — tied together
  9. file — a line of people
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bound — obliged
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pass — a permit
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. face — to confront
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cue — a hint
  21. file — a document
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cell — a phone

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