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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: mate · content · fork · staff · rule · leaves · present · ground

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. present — the time now
  4. rule — a law
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mate — a partner
  8. staff — a stick
  9. present — a gift
  10. content — happy
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rule — government
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mate — a friend
  20. present — there
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ground — a position
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. content — the amount

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