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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. firm — a company
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. object — to protest
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mark — a trace
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. object — an aim
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. snap — to click
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. object — a thing
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. firm — steady
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rush — hurry
  22. firm — decided
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rush — to hurry

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