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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: staff · file · rule · pitcher · track · bank · pound · perch

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. file — a tool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. file — a line of people
  6. staff — a stick
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rule — a law
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — a weight
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. file — a document
  23. bank — for money
  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