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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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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: ground · march · bear · kick · staff · ruler

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. bear — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. staff — a stick
  8. ground — crushed
  9. march — music
  10. ground — a position
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — the month
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. staff — employees
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football

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