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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: rule · bark · mark · pop · track · leaves · rush · pit

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. track — a path
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rush — hurry
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. track — a song
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rule — a law
  13. mark — a grade
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pop — soda
  16. bark — to shout
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rule — government
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pit — in a race

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