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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: rash · spell · track · mark · rock · land · cap · trunk

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. mark — a trace
  8. land — ground
  9. spell — letters
  10. cap — a hat
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cap — a lid
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. land — to come down
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rock — music
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. land — a country

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