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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: stick · track · rush · fall · pitcher · bore · chair · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chair — a leader
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fall — the season
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. track — a path
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fall — to drop
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. track — a song
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chair — a professorship

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