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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: mark · rush · shower · staff · land · ruler · bank · club

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mark — a grade
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. shower — to wash
  6. staff — employees
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. land — to come down
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bank — for money
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. club — a group
  14. shower — rain
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. staff — employees
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mark — a trace

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