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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: track · rule · bore · saw · spring · can · kick · bass

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bass — low music
  3. track — a path
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. rule — a law
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bass — the fish
  15. spring — the season
  16. bore — to drill
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. track — a song
  20. spring — of water
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. kick — in football
  24. spring — a coil

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