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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: spring · present · staff · rule · track · race · can · foot

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. track — a path
  3. staff — employees
  4. spring — of water
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spring — a coil
  7. race — humankind
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. spring — the season
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. staff — a stick
  14. track — a song
  15. staff — employees
  16. present — a gift
  17. can — a tin
  18. race — a contest
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rule — a law
  24. foot — a measure

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