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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: can · rule · bank · scale · board · bat · temple · hand

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. hand — in cards
  3. can — to be able to
  4. hand — help
  5. scale — size or range
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. board — to get on
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rule — government
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bank — for money
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. scale — in music
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rule — a law

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