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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: cabinet · ruler · bear · track · rush · ground · arm · pit

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. rush — hurry
  4. track — a song
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pit — in a race
  21. ground — a position
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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