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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rush — hurry
  3. net — for catching
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. track — a song
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rash — a series
  16. net — after costs
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pass — a permit
  20. track — a path
  21. net — in sport
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. coach — a trainer

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