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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 · wind · track · mug · mate · stand · rule · jam

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. track — a song
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rule — a law
  8. wind — moving air
  9. track — a path
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mug — to rob
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mate — to breed
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rule — government
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. mug — a face

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