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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in 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. row — a quarrel
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pop — soda
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pop — to visit
  14. court — of a king
  15. row — a line
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pop — music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pit — in a race
  20. court — of law
  21. spring — of water
  22. court — for sport
  23. spring — the season
  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