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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 120 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: bowl · mark · lie · racket · bank · game · rule · saw

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rule — a law
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bank — of a river
  6. saw — the tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bank — for money
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mark — a trace
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bank — for money
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. game — a match
  21. rule — government
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. saw — the tool

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