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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bound — certain
  7. current — of water
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mark — a trace
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. current — happening now
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pass — a permit
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. current — electric
  19. board — to get on
  20. present — a gift
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. present — the time now
  23. board — a committee
  24. present — there

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