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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 120 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: bowl · ruler · cue · march · leaves · nail · lean · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. march — the month
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cue — a signal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lean — to bend
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. march — music
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lean — thin
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. march — the month
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ground — the earth
  24. nail — for a hammer

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