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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: rash · track · game · last · rush · pop · suit · mate

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. rash — hasty
  3. track — to keep track
  4. game — a match
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pop — music
  11. last — to go on
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pop — soda
  14. track — a path
  15. last — final
  16. rash — a series
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. suit — clothes
  21. track — a song
  22. game — wild animals
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mate — a partner

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