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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 120 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 · board · rule · squash · chip · foot

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. 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. ruler — for measuring
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. squash — the sport
  4. board — a committee
  5. chip — for betting
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. board — to get on
  9. rule — government
  10. squash — to crush
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rule — a law
  18. 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