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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: ruler · mine · rule · bulb · coach · spring · ground · board

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. spring — of water
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ground — crushed
  5. rule — government
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — to get on
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — the season
  12. ground — a position
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rule — a law
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ground — the earth
  19. board — a committee
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. board — a flat piece

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