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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rule — government
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. roll — a cake
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. current — of water
  10. board — to get on
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. roll — a list
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rule — a law
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. season — in sport
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bear — the animal

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