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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: clip · plane · club · stock · foot · ruler · chair · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. clip — a video
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stock — goods
  8. club — for dancing
  9. clip — for paper
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. clip — to cut
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. club — a group
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stock — shares
  22. club — for golf
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — a leader

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