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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. current — of water
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rule — a law
  6. object — to protest
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bear — the animal
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. object — an aim
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. current — electric
  15. object — a thing
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rule — government
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mark — a grade
  21. current — happening now
  22. bank — for money
  23. game — a match
  24. rule — to rule out

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