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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 116 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bank — for money
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. key — in music
  5. rule — government
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. capital — a city
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bank — for money
  22. rule — a law
  23. row — a line
  24. bank — of a river

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