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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 116 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: dip · rash · march · cap · rush · ball · rock · mate

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. march — the month
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. march — the month
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rush — hurry
  10. march — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rock — a stone
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rash — a series
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rock — music
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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