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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. date — the fruit
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bank — for money
  5. march — music
  6. rule — a law
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bank — for money
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. charge — a price
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. arm — part of the body

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