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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 120 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: pitcher · trunk · rule · foot · rest · bank · scale · suit

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. suit — to fit
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bank — for money
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. suit — clothes
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rest — what's left
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. bank — for money
  22. scale — in music
  23. bank — of a river
  24. suit — in cards

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