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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pop — music
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pass — a permit
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. squash — the sport
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mine — for digging
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pop — soda
  15. shower — rain
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — a line
  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