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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pop — soda
  5. object — a thing
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mark — a trace
  11. object — an aim
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pit — in a race
  17. object — to protest
  18. capital — a city
  19. rash — a series
  20. wake — a trail
  21. capital — money
  22. pop — music
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pit — a hole

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