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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.

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: march · rash · land · safe · cue · pass · mark · row

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. land — to come down
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. row — a line
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. land — ground
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. land — a country
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cue — for pool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mark — a grade
  20. march — the month
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cue — a hint
  24. safe — out of danger

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