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

Word bank: fall · race · content · pass · ground · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ground — a position
  7. pass — a permit
  8. race — the arms race
  9. content — happy
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fall — to drop
  12. race — a contest
  13. content — the amount
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fall — to drop
  16. race — humankind
  17. fall — the season
  18. content — videos and posts

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