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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: shower · field · ruler · rash · pit · track · lie · fan

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. field — farmland
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. track — a path
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. field — for sport
  18. track — a song
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pit — a hole
  22. field — a subject
  23. shower — rain
  24. rash — on the skin

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