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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: ground · kick · tube · ruler · sharp · mark · swing · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tube — the underground
  4. ground — crushed
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. swing — in golf
  8. tube — a container
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. kick — in football
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ground — a position
  18. swing — to play on
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mark — a grade
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. swing — music
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mark — a trace

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