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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. firm — a company
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rash — a series
  13. pop — soda
  14. rash — hasty
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mark — a grade
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mark — to pay attention

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