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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. capital — money
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. capital — a city
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. current — electric
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. current — happening now
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — a trace
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rush — hurry
  21. current — of water
  22. track — a song
  23. pop — to visit
  24. suit — in cards

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