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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: rule · pit · rush · tube · season · lie · ball · staff

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rule — a law
  3. tube — a container
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pit — in a race
  6. staff — a stick
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. season — in sport
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. ball — a dance
  14. staff — employees
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. ball — a great time
  17. season — of the year
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. staff — employees
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pit — a hole
  24. lie — to recline

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