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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. rule — government
  3. rock — music
  4. march — the month
  5. pass — a permit
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rule — a law
  11. ground — the earth
  12. shower — rain
  13. rock — a stone
  14. march — the month
  15. board — to get on
  16. ground — a position
  17. march — music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. ground — crushed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. board — a committee
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rule — to rule out

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