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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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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: kick · rule · coach · date · march · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. march — the month
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pound — a weight
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. date — the fruit
  9. march — the month
  10. rule — a law
  11. march — music
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. rule — government
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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