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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rule — government
  8. land — a country
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. band — a music group
  14. land — to come down
  15. band — a ring
  16. object — to protest
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. object — a thing
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. land — ground
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rule — a law
  24. bank — for money

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