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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rule — government
  5. mark — a trace
  6. board — to get on
  7. bank — for money
  8. scale — size or range
  9. mark — a grade
  10. spring — the season
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. roll — a cake
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. spring — of water
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. board — a committee
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spring — a coil
  24. scale — in music

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