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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 120 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: pass · rush · deal · ball · fan · march · prune · mark

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. march — the month
  4. rush — hurry
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mark — a grade
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mark — a trace
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. march — music
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. march — the month
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. prune — to trim
  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