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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: bank · mine · pitcher · ruler · content · pass · root · drill

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bank — of a river
  3. root — of a plant
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bank — for money
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bank — for money
  15. drill — the tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. content — happy
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. drill — army training
  20. pass — a permit
  21. root — of a word
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. root — the cause
  24. pitcher — a jug

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