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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. spring — the season
  3. rule — a law
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. rule — government
  9. land — a country
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. board — to get on
  13. spring — of water
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. board — a committee
  19. bear — the animal
  20. swing — music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bear — the animal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. spring — a coil

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