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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: tube · saw · pitcher · ruler · ground · wound · bank · straw

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. tube — a container
  7. bank — for money
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ground — the earth
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. tube — the underground
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bank — of a river
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bank — for money

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