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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. track — a song
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mark — a trace
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pass — a permit
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. track — a path
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rush — 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