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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: ground · fall · mark · mug · game · land · rock · ruler

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mug — to rob
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. land — ground
  11. rock — music
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fall — the season
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. game — a match
  19. land — a country
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mark — a grade
  22. land — to come down
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. game — wild animals

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