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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: chest · fan · pass · fine · rash · track · rule · bat

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fine — high quality
  4. track — a path
  5. rule — a law
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. rash — a series
  9. fine — all right
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rule — government
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rash — hasty
  20. track — a song
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chest — of your body

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