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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 120 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: mark · rule · squash · cap · rash · season · kick · pound

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pound — a weight
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. kick — in football
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mark — a trace
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rash — a series
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mark — a grade
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. rash — hasty

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