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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 · perch · spell · pitch · leaves · can · rule · race

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. race — a contest
  4. rule — government
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. spell — magic
  13. race — the arms race
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rush — hurry
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rule — a law
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. can — to be able to
  23. race — humankind
  24. can — a tin

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