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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: bank · temple · prune · squash · ruler · coach · field · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bank — for money
  4. prune — to trim
  5. field — a subject
  6. prune — to trim
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. field — farmland
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. field — for sport
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bank — for money
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. drill — the tool
  19. squash — to crush
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. drill — army training
  24. bank — of a river

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