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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: pit · rush · game · pass · rule · patient · mark · toast

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rule — a law
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. game — a match
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rule — government
  16. game — wild animals
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mark — a grade
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mark — a trace

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