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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: pit · ball · track · rush · staff · row · rule · face

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rule — government
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pit — a hole
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. track — a song
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. face — to point toward
  20. track — a path
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pit — in a race
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rule — a law

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