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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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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: foot · rock · ruler · field · pitcher · board · snap · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. board — to get on
  3. field — farmland
  4. board — a committee
  5. field — for sport
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bank — for money
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. snap — to click
  12. bank — of a river
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. field — a subject
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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