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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: land · rule · ruler · foot · racket · trunk · net · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — government
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. net — after costs
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. squash — the sport
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rule — a law
  12. net — for catching
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. land — to come down
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. land — a country
  18. squash — to crush
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. land — ground
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. net — in sport
  24. trunk — of a car

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