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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: roll · toast · object · spring · mate · march · season · rule

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. object — to protest
  4. mate — a friend
  5. object — a thing
  6. spring — the season
  7. march — the month
  8. object — an aim
  9. toast — bread
  10. rule — a law
  11. roll — a cake
  12. march — the month
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rule — government
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mate — a partner
  19. spring — a coil
  20. roll — a list
  21. march — music
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. spring — of water
  24. season — of the year

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