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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stock — shares
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. current — of water
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. current — electric
  12. stock — goods
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. march — the month
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. branch — a division
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. current — happening now
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. plane — a tool
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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