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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mark — a grade
  3. march — the month
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rash — a series
  12. can — a tin
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rush — hurry
  19. march — the month
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. file — a tool
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. file — a document
  24. pass — a permit

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