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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 116 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. can — a tin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mug — a cup
  11. branch — a division
  12. mug — a face
  13. can — a tin
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rule — a law
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. season — of the year
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mug — to rob
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pass — to spend time

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