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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 · root · ground · row · bank · firm · can · wind

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. ground — a position
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. firm — a company
  5. bank — for money
  6. ground — the earth
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ground — crushed
  9. can — a tin
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bank — for money
  15. firm — decided
  16. root — of a word
  17. can — a tin
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. root — the cause
  23. firm — steady
  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