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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: mark · fan · present · pound · hand · bear · rule · bay

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rule — a law
  10. mark — a trace
  11. hand — help
  12. present — a gift
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. present — the time now
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. present — there
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bear — to put up with

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