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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. pop — music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. track — to keep track
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. track — a song
  13. snap — to click
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mark — a grade
  17. track — a path
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pop — soda
  21. land — a country
  22. charge — electricity
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. dip — to sink

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