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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bank — for money
  3. pop — soda
  4. hand — help
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rule — government
  8. bank — for money
  9. board — a committee
  10. rule — a law
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rash — a series
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rash — hasty
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. board — to get on
  20. pop — music
  21. chair — a leader
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hand — part of the body

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