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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · row · track · wind · rock · ground · roll · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. ground — a position
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. rock — music
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. row — to paddle
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rule — a law
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. row — a line
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rule — government
  23. row — a quarrel
  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