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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: track · leaves · current · rule · plane · drill · pitcher · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rule — a law
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rule — government
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. current — electric
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. track — to keep track
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. track — a path
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — a song
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. drill — a practice
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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