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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 · kid · rule · spring · ball · chair · drill · mug

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chair — a leader
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rule — government
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. kid — child
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mug — a cup
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mug — a face
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rule — a law
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. kid — to tease
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. ball — a dance

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