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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pop — to visit
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mark — a trace
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pop — soda
  10. present — a gift
  11. tear — from crying
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pop — music
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. present — there
  18. tear — from crying
  19. sharp — clever
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pitch — completely
  24. present — the time now

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