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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. board — to get on
  3. fine — all right
  4. rule — government
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bank — for money
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. race — humankind
  14. season — in sport
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bank — of a river
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bank — for money
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. board — a committee
  23. race — a contest
  24. rule — a law

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