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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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. pitch — completely
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bank — of a river
  6. spring — of water
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. rule — government
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. spring — the season
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bank — for money
  24. spring — a coil

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