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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: capital · row · racket · rule · stand · march · mate · squash

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rule — a law
  3. march — the month
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mate — a partner
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. capital — a city
  10. mate — a friend
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. capital — money
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. march — the month
  19. squash — the sport
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rule — government
  22. row — a line
  23. march — music
  24. stand — to bear

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