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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: rash · fall · spell · roll · current · pop · ruler · pit

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pit — in a race
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rash — a series
  5. current — electric
  6. pit — a hole
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. roll — a list
  10. pop — music
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. current — happening now
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. current — of water
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pop — to visit
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rash — hasty
  20. roll — a cake
  21. spell — magic
  22. fall — to drop
  23. spell — letters
  24. rash — on the skin

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