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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: date · rule · firm · spring · mate · leaves · toast · march

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. march — the month
  6. firm — a company
  7. mate — a partner
  8. firm — steady
  9. spring — of water
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — to breed
  13. spring — the season
  14. march — music
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. toast — bread
  18. march — the month
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rule — a law
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rule — government
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. spring — a coil

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