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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: arm · field · track · bank · fan · toast · content · rule

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bank — for money
  3. field — a subject
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. track — a path
  7. bank — of a river
  8. track — a song
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. field — for sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. content — happy
  17. rule — a law
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. track — to keep track
  20. content — the amount
  21. toast — bread
  22. field — farmland
  23. rule — government
  24. fan — a supporter

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