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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: ball · spring · rule · pitch · jam · pass · present · bay

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. present — there
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ball — a dance
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rule — a law
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. ball — a great time
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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