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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: calf · kid · row · rule · sharp · march · club · rash

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. club — for golf
  4. row — to paddle
  5. club — a group
  6. row — a line
  7. rule — government
  8. march — the month
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — child
  12. rule — a law
  13. march — music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. club — for dancing
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rash — hasty
  24. march — the month

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