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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: kid · bay · row · rule · march · bark

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. kid — to tease
  7. row — a line
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. march — the month
  10. rule — government
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. march — music
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rule — a law
  17. kid — child
  18. march — the month

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