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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bank — for money
  4. club — for golf
  5. kid — child
  6. bank — of a river
  7. content — the amount
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bank — for money
  11. content — happy
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. club — a group
  17. rule — government
  18. club — for dancing

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