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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 116 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: rock · last · bear · mate · rule · pitch · nail · fan

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rule — government
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mate — to breed
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mate — a friend
  19. last — to go on
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. last — final
  24. rock — music

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