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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.

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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 · mark · bound · pop · row · clip · rock · pit

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pop — soda
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bound — obliged
  10. row — a line
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pop — music
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bound — certain
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rock — music
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pit — a hole
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rush — to hurry

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