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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: rule · nail · march · kick · club · pit · bulb · last

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rule — government
  4. last — finally
  5. club — for dancing
  6. last — final
  7. club — a group
  8. bulb — for light
  9. club — for golf
  10. pit — a hole
  11. march — the month
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. march — the month
  14. last — to go on
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. kick — in football
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rule — a law
  22. bulb — for light
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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