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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: face · pitcher · fan · date · stand · last · chip · pass

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. last — final
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. face — part of the head
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. date — the fruit
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chip — for betting
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. face — to confront
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. face — to point toward
  24. last — finally

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