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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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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: net · bank · trunk · ruler · pitch · snap · roll · rule

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. net — in sport
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bank — for money
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. roll — a cake
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bank — for money
  11. rule — government
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rule — a law
  15. roll — a list
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. net — for catching
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pitch — completely
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. net — after costs
  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