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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pop — music
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rush — hurry
  7. field — a subject
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pit — a hole
  14. field — for sport
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bank — for money
  17. pop — soda
  18. row — a line
  19. field — farmland
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cap — of ice
  22. row — to paddle
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bank — for 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