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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: rule · cell · temple · object · drill · ground · field · nail

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. object — a thing
  3. field — farmland
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. drill — the tool
  7. field — a subject
  8. object — an aim
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. drill — a practice
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rule — a law
  14. field — for sport
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. object — to protest
  17. ground — a position
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in biology
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rule — government
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. nail — for a hammer

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