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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. land — to come down
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. drill — army training
  7. row — to paddle
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. firm — steady
  11. rush — hurry
  12. firm — a company
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. land — a country
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rash — a series
  17. firm — decided
  18. pass — a permit
  19. row — a line
  20. game — a match
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. game — wild animals
  23. land — ground
  24. game — a kind of play

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