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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 · bass · row · sharp · ruler · ground · shower · saw

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. shower — rain
  4. rule — government
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bass — low music
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ground — the earth
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rule — a law
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bass — the fish
  24. saw — the tool

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