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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: staff · cap · rule · mate · land · ruler · jam · straw

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cap — of ice
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. staff — employees
  13. land — a country
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. staff — employees
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mate — to breed
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mate — a partner
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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