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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. game — wild animals
  5. roll — a cake
  6. game — a match
  7. roll — a list
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. capital — a city
  10. mark — a grade
  11. track — a song
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rush — hurry
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. track — to keep track
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. track — a path
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. capital — money

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