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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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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: squash · cabinet · ruler · ground · rule · file

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. file — a line of people
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. file — a document
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ground — a position
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. ground — crushed
  18. file — a tool

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