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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bank — of a river
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bank — for money
  10. board — to get on
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pound — a weight
  13. press — to push
  14. mine — for digging
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. press — newspapers
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rule — a law
  20. board — a committee
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bank — for money

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