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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 116 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: kick · clip · bay · march · bowl · firm · rule · chair

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rule — a law
  3. firm — decided
  4. kick — in football
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. firm — a company
  11. clip — to cut
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. firm — steady
  16. clip — a video
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. chair — a leader
  19. clip — for paper
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. march — music
  22. rule — government
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bay — a horse colour

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