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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: drill · bark · root · stock · prune · ruler · bank · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. drill — the tool
  3. root — of a word
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stock — shares
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stock — goods
  11. root — the cause
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. drill — a practice
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. land — to come down
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bark — to shout
  22. root — of a plant
  23. land — ground
  24. drill — army training

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