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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 120 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: file · rule · rock · trunk · rush · perch · ground · pit

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. rock — music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. ground — crushed
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rock — a stone
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. file — a tool
  12. pit — in a race
  13. file — a document
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ground — a position
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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