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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.

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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 · pitch · rule · kick · leaves · drill · mouse · cell

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. drill — a practice
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rule — government
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kick — in football
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. drill — army training
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cell — in a prison

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