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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 · track · rule · pitcher · march · mug · bulb · lean

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lean — thin
  3. march — the month
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rule — government
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mug — a face
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. march — music
  15. pit — in a race
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rule — a law
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. march — the month
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. track — a path

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