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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.

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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: rule · pass · stick · mate · current · chair · bear · ball

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pass — a permit
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mate — a friend
  7. current — happening now
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. current — of water
  10. chair — a leader
  11. current — electric
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rule — a law
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rule — government
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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