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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: rush · perch · pit · roll · spell · bulb · track · race

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. perch — the fish
  3. race — a contest
  4. track — a path
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — a short time
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. track — a song
  14. spell — letters
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rush — hurry
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spell — magic
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. track — to keep track
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pit — a hole
  24. race — humankind

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