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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: track · last · current · rash · jam · bat · ruler · fall

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. track — to keep track
  4. last — to go on
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. last — final
  9. track — a song
  10. current — of water
  11. track — a path
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. last — finally
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. fall — to drop
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. rash — a series

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