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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: track · cap · chip · rush · court · toast · lash · season

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rush — hurry
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. season — of the year
  8. track — a song
  9. chip — to eat
  10. toast — bread
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. chip — for betting
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. court — of law
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cap — of ice
  21. season — in sport
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. track — a path

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