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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: lean · saw · mug · rash · file · march · track · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. march — the month
  3. mug — a face
  4. file — a document
  5. track — to keep track
  6. file — a tool
  7. rash — a series
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. file — a line of people
  10. track — a song
  11. saw — the tool
  12. march — the month
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lean — thin
  16. march — music
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pit — a hole
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. saw — the tool
  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