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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · season · rush · pop · pass · scale · land · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. land — a country
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. season — of the year
  9. scale — in music
  10. pop — music
  11. rash — a series
  12. land — ground
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pop — soda
  15. rush — hurry
  16. land — to come down
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rash — hasty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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