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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. mark — a grade
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. net — for catching
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stand — to bear
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. net — after costs
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mark — a trace
  23. season — in sport
  24. stand — for spectators

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