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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. date — the fruit
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. capital — money
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rash — a series
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pass — a permit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. capital — a city
  24. mark — a trace

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