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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: chip · rule · bay · march · pitcher · calf · kick · wound

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. kick — in football
  3. rule — government
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. march — the month
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rule — a law
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. march — music
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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