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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · track · rush · squash · pit · rock · fine · file

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rush — hurry
  7. key — for a lock
  8. track — a path
  9. key — in music
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fine — all right
  14. key — the most important part
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pit — in a race
  17. squash — to crush
  18. file — a tool
  19. squash — the sport
  20. fine — high quality
  21. track — a song
  22. file — a document
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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