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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 116 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: bank · rock · cell · ruler · game · bulb · mug · row

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mug — a cup
  10. row — a line
  11. cell — in biology
  12. rock — music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. rock — a stone
  17. game — a match
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bulb — for light
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. ruler — for measuring

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