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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: game · club · march · row · fine · kick · rule · pop

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. club — for dancing
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. club — for golf
  6. fine — high quality
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pop — music
  9. rule — government
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rule — a law
  12. row — a line
  13. pop — soda
  14. fine — all right
  15. club — a group
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. game — a match
  19. march — the month
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. row — to paddle
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. march — music
  24. game — a kind of play

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