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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: roll · rush · pit · chip · perch · rule · track · staff

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pit — a hole
  3. roll — a cake
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. rule — a law
  6. pit — in a race
  7. roll — a list
  8. track — a song
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. staff — a stick
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. track — a path
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rule — government
  20. staff — employees
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. staff — employees
  24. perch — the fish

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