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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: rule · net · bass · board · pitch · bay · last · present

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. present — there
  3. rule — a law
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. last — final
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. last — finally
  9. net — after costs
  10. present — the time now
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. net — for catching
  13. bass — the fish
  14. present — a gift
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. net — in sport
  23. bass — low music
  24. last — to go on

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