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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a cake
  7. land — to come down
  8. band — a ring
  9. bank — for money
  10. land — ground
  11. bound — certain
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. roll — a list
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cue — a signal
  21. band — a music group
  22. cue — a hint
  23. land — a country
  24. bound — obliged

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