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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 · cap · cold · bear · foot · board · ground · roll

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — government
  3. board — to get on
  4. bear — the animal
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cold — not warm
  7. ground — a position
  8. board — a committee
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rule — a law
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. roll — a list
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cap — a lid
  21. foot — a measure
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. foot — part of the body

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