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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: rule · drill · cell · craft · ground · foot

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. craft — boats
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. cell — in biology
  6. craft — a skill
  7. drill — army training
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rule — a law
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. craft — a handicraft

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