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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: fine · bank · club · race · march · hand · leaves · rule

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. 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. race — the arms race
  2. march — the month
  3. rule — government
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. race — humankind
  7. fine — all right
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bank — for money
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. hand — help
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. bank — of a river
  16. race — a contest
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rule — a law
  19. club — for golf
  20. fine — high quality
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bank — for money
  23. club — a group
  24. 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