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

Word bank: rule · deal · firm · bank · cold · roll

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. firm — steady
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. firm — decided
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bank — for money
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bank — for money
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rule — government
  12. bank — of a river
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rule — a law
  17. firm — a company
  18. rule — to rule out

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