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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: stand · toast · bowl · row · pitcher · safe · march · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. march — the month
  4. toast — bread
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. row — a line
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. march — music
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rule — government
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rule — a law
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. row — to paddle
  23. march — the month
  24. safe — out of danger

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