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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rock — music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rock — a stone
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. date — the fruit
  18. march — music

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