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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: chest · pit · drill · pitcher · row · season · ruler · bank

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bank — for money
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. drill — army training
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bank — for money
  13. season — in sport
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. season — of the year
  17. pit — a hole
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chest — a box

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