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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: bowl · toast · present · rule · bass · march

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  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. rule — government
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rule — a law
  4. bass — the fish
  5. march — the month
  6. present — there
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bass — low music
  10. march — music
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. march — the month
  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