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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 · fan · pit · rule · rest · bark · ruler · mouse

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rule — government
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. track — a song
  17. rest — a break
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rule — a law
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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