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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
468
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: stick · rule · field · nail · content · pitcher · fan · bank

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bank — for money
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. content — the amount
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. field — a subject
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rule — government
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bank — of a river
  16. field — farmland
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. field — for sport
  21. rule — a law
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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