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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: ruler · present · rock · rule · tube · land · chest · bowl

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. present — a gift
  3. rock — a stone
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tube — a container
  6. present — there
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rule — a law
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rock — music
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. present — the time now
  16. tube — the underground
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. land — ground
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. chest — a box

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