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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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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: bank · spell · track · can · cell · snap · rule · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rule — a law
  4. bank — for money
  5. can — a tin
  6. track — a song
  7. spell — magic
  8. can — a tin
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. track — a path
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bank — for money
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. spell — letters
  17. rule — government
  18. cell — in biology
  19. snap — to click
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cell — a phone
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cell — in a prison

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