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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: saw · march · rash · rule · deal · capital · pit · kick

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. capital — money
  6. pit — in a race
  7. kick — in football
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rash — hasty
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. march — music
  13. rash — a series
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. capital — a city
  16. pit — a hole
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. march — the month
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rule — a law
  24. march — the month

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