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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rule — a law
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bank — for money
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ground — the earth
  12. race — humankind
  13. bank — for money
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. march — music
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rule — government
  19. march — the month
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. march — the month
  23. race — a contest
  24. deal — to handle

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