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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. swing — music
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rule — government
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. row — a line
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. prune — to trim
  15. suit — in cards
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mark — a trace
  19. swing — in golf
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rule — a law
  24. file — a document

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