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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: track · pit · net · drill · bear · branch · rush · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. branch — a division
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. track — to keep track
  9. drill — army training
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. roll — a cake
  12. track — a song
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. drill — the tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. track — a path
  23. pit — a hole
  24. roll — a list

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