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

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. band — a ring
  4. bank — of a river
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. net — for catching
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mark — a trace
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rule — a law
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rule — government
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. net — in sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. net — after costs
  21. bank — for money
  22. mark — a grade
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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