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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: field · march · chip · rule · pound · hide · rash · calf

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rash — hasty
  3. field — a subject
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rash — a series
  6. march — music
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. march — the month
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pound — a weight
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rule — a law
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. chip — for betting
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. field — for sport
  23. rule — government
  24. hide — to keep secret

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