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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: row · march · dip · firm · can · rash · chip · rule

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. march — the month
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rash — hasty
  7. firm — steady
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. can — a tin
  10. firm — decided
  11. row — to paddle
  12. firm — a company
  13. chip — to eat
  14. march — music
  15. dip — to sink
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. can — to be able to
  18. row — a line
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. march — the month
  21. rule — a law
  22. can — a tin
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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