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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · bank · tear · content · drill · jam

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. tear — from crying
  5. drill — army training
  6. bank — of a river
  7. content — happy
  8. drill — the tool
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bank — for money
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bank — for money
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. drill — a practice
  18. content — the amount

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