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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: bay · leaves · board · toast · rule · date

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. toast — bread
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. board — to get on
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. date — on the calendar

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