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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. game — wild animals
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. game — a match
  5. rash — a series
  6. track — a song
  7. fine — all right
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fine — high quality
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. track — to keep track
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. roll — a list
  16. rash — hasty
  17. toast — bread
  18. rush — hurry
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. track — a path
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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