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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 120 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
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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: board · present · rule · ball · leaves · march · chair · bowl

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. present — the time now
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rule — a law
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. ball — a dance
  14. march — music
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. present — a gift
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. chair — a leader
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. present — there
  24. ball — a round shape

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