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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: cabinet · foot · rule · march · present · club

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. club — a group
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — government
  5. club — for dancing
  6. present — there
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. club — for golf
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. present — a gift
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. march — the month
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. march — music
  17. present — the time now
  18. foot — a measure

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