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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. rule — government
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pound — a weight
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bank — for money
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. hand — help
  11. stock — shares
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stock — goods
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bank — for money
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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