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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rule — government
  6. squash — the sport
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rule — a law
  9. squash — to crush
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. drill — army training
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. drill — the tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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