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

Word bank: rock · rule · ruler · clip · date · bay

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — to cut
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. clip — a video
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. rock — a stone
  14. date — the fruit
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bay — to keep at bay

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