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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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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: object · ground · bear · fall · rule · chair · ball · squash

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. object — a thing
  3. fall — to drop
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ground — crushed
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bear — the animal
  9. object — an aim
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rule — a law
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. object — to protest
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rule — government
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ground — a position

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