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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bank — for money
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rule — a law
  5. ground — crushed
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fine — all right
  8. suit — in cards
  9. saw — the tool
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ground — a position
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. board — a committee
  20. suit — to fit
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. board — to get on
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rule — government

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