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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. firm — decided
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. firm — a company
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. rule — government
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rule — a law
  15. roll — a cake
  16. wound — an injury
  17. firm — steady
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. court — of a king
  21. saw — the tool
  22. roll — a list
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wound — an injury

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