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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: wake · race · present · mark · perch · rush · court · cabinet

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. race — a contest
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wake — a trail
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. court — of a king
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. present — there
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. present — the time now
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rush — hurry
  14. present — a gift
  15. court — for sport
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. race — humankind
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. court — of law

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