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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. spell — letters
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stand — to bear
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. roll — a list
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pitch — completely
  23. suit — in cards
  24. roll — a cake

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