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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 120 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: bat · stick · rule · track · craft · firm · rash · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. craft — boats
  3. rule — a law
  4. track — a path
  5. rash — a series
  6. rule — government
  7. rash — hasty
  8. track — to keep track
  9. firm — decided
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fall — the season
  13. track — a song
  14. fall — to drop
  15. firm — steady
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bat — the animal
  23. firm — a company
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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