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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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468
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: ruler · squash · track · court · bank · arm · tube · drill

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bank — of a river
  4. drill — army training
  5. squash — to crush
  6. court — for sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bank — for money
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tube — a container
  14. drill — a practice
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. drill — the tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. court — of law
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. track — a song
  22. court — of a king
  23. tube — the underground
  24. squash — the vegetable

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