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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · hand · rule · content · bank · track · wound · chair

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. track — to keep track
  3. hand — help
  4. mug — a face
  5. track — a path
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bank — for money
  13. rule — a law
  14. track — a song
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mug — a cup
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. content — happy
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bank — for money
  24. chair — a leader

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