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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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. stick — a piece of wood
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. march — the month
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. swing — music
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cue — a signal
  14. march — the month
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wake — a trail
  18. band — a ring
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. march — music
  22. band — a music group
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cue — for pool

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