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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: rush · pit · staff · rest · drill · mark · bank · file

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. staff — employees
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bank — for money
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rest — a break
  12. staff — a stick
  13. file — a tool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. staff — employees
  24. rest — what's left

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