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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: rule · patient · bank · squash · ruler · pitch · mine · bore

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bank — for money
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rule — government
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rule — a law
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bore — to tire
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bank — for money
  24. mine — an explosive

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