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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 120 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: season · pit · pass · ruler · march · rule

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. season — in sport
  8. march — the month
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rule — government
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pit — in a race
  13. march — the month
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. march — music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rule — a law

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