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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: root · fork · hand · rule · content · fine · bank · march

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rule — government
  3. bank — for money
  4. hand — help
  5. content — the amount
  6. bank — of a river
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. root — of a word
  10. fine — all right
  11. hand — in cards
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. root — the cause
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. root — of a plant
  17. march — music
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rule — a law
  22. content — happy
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fine — high quality

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