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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. band — a music group
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. band — a ring
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. board — to get on
  11. present — there
  12. bear — the animal
  13. present — a gift
  14. kick — in football
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. present — the time now
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rule — a law
  24. mark — a grade

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