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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: roll · march · bank · rule · craft · kick

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. craft — boats
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. bank — for money
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. march — the month
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bank — for money
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. roll — a list
  13. march — music
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. bank — of a river
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. march — the month

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