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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · chest · track · cabinet · game · race · rash · pit

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. race — the arms race
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. track — a path
  5. race — a contest
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chest — a box
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. game — a match
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. race — humankind
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rash — a series
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. chest — of your body
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pit — in a race
  24. track — to keep track

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