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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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rule — a law
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bank — for money
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pop — music
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mate — a partner
  20. capital — money
  21. bank — for money
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pop — soda
  24. mate — a friend

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