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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bank — for money
  4. rule — a law
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. band — a music group
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bank — for money
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chip — for betting
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. band — a ring
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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