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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cold · pitcher · charge · plane · field · root · bank · ruler

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bank — for money
  3. charge — a price
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cold — an illness
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cold — not warm
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. field — for sport
  12. root — the cause
  13. charge — electricity
  14. root — of a word
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. charge — in control

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