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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: club · rash · march · firm · pound · rule · lean · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. firm — decided
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rash — a series
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rash — hasty
  10. firm — a company
  11. rule — a law
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rule — government
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. lean — thin
  20. march — the month
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. firm — steady

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