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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: pit · net · ball · ruler · tube · chest · track · rush

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chest — of your body
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. net — in sport
  11. chest — a box
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. net — for catching
  16. track — a song
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ball — a dance
  22. tube — a container
  23. ball — a great time
  24. net — after costs

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