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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rule — government
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pound — a weight
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bank — of a river
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. club — a group
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mate — a partner
  13. club — for golf
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bank — for money
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rule — a law
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bank — for money
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mate — a friend
  24. tube — a container

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