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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: plane · bank · ruler · craft · march · game · snap · ground

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bank — of a river
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. craft — boats
  6. ground — a position
  7. march — the month
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bank — for money
  13. snap — to click
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. game — wild animals
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. march — the month
  19. craft — a skill
  20. ground — the earth
  21. game — a match
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ground — crushed
  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