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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rule — government
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. march — the month
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. march — the month
  13. band — a ring
  14. lean — to bend
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. march — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. band — a music group
  21. stock — goods
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lean — thin
  24. stock — shares

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