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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. present — there
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. present — the time now
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fine — all right
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bulb — for light
  14. present — a gift
  15. bulb — for light
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. date — the fruit
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. board — to get on
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fine — high quality

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