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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: stand · march · ground · ruler · foot · tear

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. stand — to bear
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ground — a position
  6. tear — to rip
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. march — music
  9. foot — a measure
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — the month
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. march — the month
  18. foot — the bottom

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