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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · staff · craft · rash · cell · pass · face · pitch

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. staff — employees
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rash — a series
  9. face — part of the head
  10. game — a match
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitch — completely
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. face — to confront
  16. game — wild animals
  17. face — to point toward
  18. staff — a stick
  19. craft — boats
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cell — a phone
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cell — in biology

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