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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · calf · bowl · leaves · stand · rule

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. march — the month
  7. rule — a law
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rule — government
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bowl — a football final

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