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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 116 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: rule · spring · board · march · bark · ground · pitcher · pass

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. board — to get on
  6. rule — government
  7. march — music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. march — the month
  11. rule — a law
  12. spring — the season
  13. ground — the earth
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. spring — a coil
  16. march — the month
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spring — of water
  22. board — a committee
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ground — a position

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