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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: pitcher · straw · mark · ruler · drill · spell · land · rule

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rule — a law
  9. land — to come down
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. spell — letters
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. land — ground
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spell — magic
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. drill — army training
  21. land — a country
  22. rule — government
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. straw — a straw man

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