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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. drill — the tool
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. fine — all right
  8. mate — a partner
  9. court — of law
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pitch — completely
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. court — of a king
  19. mate — to breed
  20. drill — army training
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pop — music
  23. suit — clothes
  24. court — for sport

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