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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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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: stand · fine · pit · last · bark · ground · rule · mate

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. last — to go on
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. ground — a position
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rule — government
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fine — all right
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. fine — high quality
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. rule — a law

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