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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. deal — to handle
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rest — a break
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rule — government
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitch — completely
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. branch — a division
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. branch — of a tree

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