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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: sharp · pitch · board · march · rule · kick · cabinet · fall

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rule — a law
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rule — government
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitch — completely
  8. march — the month
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. march — music
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fall — the season
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. sharp — clever
  20. board — a committee
  21. kick — in football
  22. board — to get on
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rule — to rule out

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