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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. row — a line
  3. roll — a list
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. row — to paddle
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. suit — to fit
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rush — hurry
  16. march — the month
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. suit — clothes

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