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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: kick · squash · field · ruler · rule · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. field — for sport
  4. kick — in football
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rule — government
  8. field — farmland
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. squash — the sport
  12. current — of water
  13. squash — to crush
  14. current — electric
  15. field — a subject
  16. rule — a law
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. rule — to rule out

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