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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: bank · land · staff · wake · rule · pitcher · bore · mug

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rule — a law
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bank — for money
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. land — to come down
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. staff — employees
  22. land — a country
  23. bank — for money
  24. rule — government

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