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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: pit · track · chest · wax · ground · firm · rule · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. ground — the earth
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rule — a law
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pit — a hole
  9. track — a song
  10. firm — steady
  11. ground — a position
  12. chest — of your body
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. rule — government
  16. roll — a cake
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. track — a path
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wax — in the ear
  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