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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mark — a trace
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pop — to visit
  6. spring — the season
  7. net — for catching
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. spring — of water
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pop — soda
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wound — an injury
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pop — music
  19. track — a song
  20. net — after costs
  21. track — a path
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. net — in sport
  24. spring — a coil

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