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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: rule · dip · roll · root · cold · ball · pit · track

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pit — in a race
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. ball — a great time
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. roll — a cake
  12. root — of a word
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — not warm
  17. roll — a list
  18. rule — a law
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rule — government
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. ball — a dance
  23. dip — to sink
  24. track — to keep track

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