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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: ground · ruler · scale · rule · pit · stand · coach · field

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stand — to bear
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rule — a law
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. scale — size or range
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. scale — in music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ground — a position
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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