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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: jam · land · wake · spring · pit · staff · rule · ruler

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. staff — employees
  4. land — a country
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rule — government
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rule — a law
  9. staff — employees
  10. pit — a hole
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wake — a trail
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. spring — of water
  18. land — to come down
  19. spring — the season
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. land — ground
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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