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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: bank · rule · pitch · stand · calf · kid

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rule — a law
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bank — for money
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — child

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