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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: roll · rush · pound · kick · net · mark · capital · toast

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. roll — a cake
  4. net — for catching
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. toast — bread
  8. capital — money
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rush — hurry
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pound — a weight
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. mark — a trace
  23. roll — a list
  24. rush — a thrill

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