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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. spring — of water
  5. rock — a stone
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. spring — the season
  10. board — to get on
  11. rule — government
  12. stock — goods
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — the month
  15. board — a committee
  16. stock — shares
  17. rule — a law
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rock — music
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. march — music
  24. mine — for digging

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