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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — for sport
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. rule — government
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rule — a law
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pound — a weight
  13. court — of a king
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. court — of law
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. track — to keep track
  24. leaves — of a tree

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