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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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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 · rule · plane · stick · ground

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. ground — a position
  3. squash — the sport
  4. ground — the earth
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ground — crushed
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rule — a law
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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