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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: rash · rule · march · stem · key · bank · kid · jam

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bank — for money
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rash — a series
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rule — a law
  14. key — in music
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bank — of a river
  18. march — the month
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bank — for money
  24. rule — government

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