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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bank — for money
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mark — a trace
  6. file — a document
  7. bank — of a river
  8. land — ground
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. club — for golf
  11. firm — decided
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. file — a tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bank — for money
  16. firm — a company
  17. land — to come down
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. firm — steady
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. mark — a grade
  23. land — a country
  24. club — for dancing

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