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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: pit · rash · spring · track · date · ruler · cue · deal

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. track — a path
  3. spring — the season
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. spring — of water
  6. cue — a signal
  7. track — to keep track
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cue — a hint
  13. date — the fruit
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rash — hasty
  18. track — a song
  19. rash — a series
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pit — in a race

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