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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. stand — to bear
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. date — the fruit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rule — government
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. game — a match
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. spring — the season

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