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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: pitcher · track · bore · bat · pass · rule · land · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. rule — a law
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. land — to come down
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. land — ground
  14. bat — the animal
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. land — a country
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rule — government
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — to succeed

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