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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rock — music
  4. march — music
  5. hand — help
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. rule — a law
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ground — a position
  14. rock — a stone
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mark — a trace
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. ground — crushed
  20. present — there
  21. rule — government
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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