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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. season — in sport
  3. pop — music
  4. rush — hurry
  5. track — a path
  6. bank — for money
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bank — of a river
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. season — of the year
  22. bank — for money
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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