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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rule — a law
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. row — to paddle
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. net — after costs
  10. mate — to breed
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. row — a line
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bank — for money
  16. board — to get on
  17. hand — help
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bank — of a river
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rule — government
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. board — a committee

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