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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · court · rush · deal · lash · track · mark · content

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. content — happy
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mark — a grade
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. court — for sport
  11. track — a path
  12. court — of law
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. track — to keep track
  16. court — of a king
  17. cell — in biology
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. track — a song
  24. cell — a phone

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