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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: spring · rule · bore · cap · current · track · pass · perch

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. cap — of ice
  3. spring — of water
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bore — to tire
  7. cap — a lid
  8. current — electric
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. current — of water
  16. track — a song
  17. cap — a hat
  18. spring — the season
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rule — government
  23. current — happening now
  24. bore — gave birth

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