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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: cold · date · rule · swing · current · mark · bank · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bank — of a river
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. swing — music
  8. bank — for money
  9. rule — government
  10. current — happening now
  11. bank — for money
  12. firm — steady
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. current — of water
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cold — not warm
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. current — electric
  23. firm — decided
  24. cold — an illness

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