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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · rule · ball · spring · rash · season · file · rock

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. season — in sport
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. spring — of water
  6. season — of the year
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rule — government
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. spring — the season
  11. land — a country
  12. rule — a law
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. land — to come down
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rash — a series
  22. rock — music
  23. ball — a great time
  24. land — ground

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