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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: fall · track · bear · lie · bass · current · pit · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bass — the fish
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. track — a song
  13. pit — in a race
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. rule — government
  17. current — of water
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bass — low music
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rule — a law
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fall — the season
  24. track — a path

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