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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · last · can · foot · rule · drill · sharp · pitch

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — government
  5. pitch — completely
  6. can — a tin
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. can — a tin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. can — to be able to
  18. drill — the tool
  19. sharp — clever
  20. last — finally
  21. foot — a measure
  22. drill — army training
  23. last — final
  24. drill — a practice

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