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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · pitch · rule · safe · mouse · fine · object · track

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fine — all right
  3. object — a thing
  4. rule — a law
  5. object — an aim
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fine — high quality
  8. track — a path
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. object — to protest
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rash — a series
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fine — a penalty

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