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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 116 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 · rule · pit · stem · mug · stand · game · nail

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rule — government
  7. track — a path
  8. mug — a cup
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mug — a face
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mug — to rob
  14. game — wild animals
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. game — a match
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rule — a law

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