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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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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 · scale · bank · leaves · ground · march · craft · game

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. scale — size or range
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bank — for money
  7. march — the month
  8. ground — crushed
  9. craft — boats
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ground — a position
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. rule — a law
  17. march — the month
  18. ground — the earth
  19. scale — in music
  20. bank — of a river
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rule — government
  23. game — wild animals
  24. march — 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