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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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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: roll · bank · fan · craft · chair · rule · deal · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. craft — boats
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rule — a law
  13. content — happy
  14. rule — government
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. roll — a cake
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bank — for money
  21. roll — a list
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. chair — a professorship

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