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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. court — for sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. current — electric
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — of law
  11. current — happening now
  12. land — to come down
  13. rule — government
  14. court — of a king
  15. rule — a law
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — a skill
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bank — for money
  20. current — of water
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. craft — boats
  23. cell — a phone
  24. craft — a handicraft

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