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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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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: roll · pitcher · ground · rule · ruler · date · craft · rock

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rule — a law
  4. craft — boats
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. date — the fruit
  11. ground — a position
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. roll — a cake
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. roll — a list
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rock — music
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rule — government

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