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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: rush · present · cap · snap · scale · mate · row · racket

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. present — there
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cap — a hat
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. present — the time now
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mate — a partner
  15. scale — in music
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mate — to breed
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. row — a line
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rush — hurry
  22. snap — to click
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mate — a friend

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