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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rash — a series
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bank — for money
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. row — to paddle

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