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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bank — of a river
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ground — the earth
  6. prune — to trim
  7. game — wild animals
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — a container
  10. court — for sport
  11. game — a match
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. court — of a king
  20. bank — for money
  21. prune — to trim
  22. court — of law
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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