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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 · march · racket · rule · pitch · lean

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pitch — completely
  4. march — music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kid — child
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. march — the month
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. lean — to bend
  14. march — the month
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rule — government
  17. kid — to tease
  18. lean — thin

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