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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 120 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: foot · cap · plane · content · rule · fork · ground · rush

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cap — a lid
  3. content — the amount
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fork — in a road
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rule — a law
  18. ground — crushed
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cap — of ice
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rush — to hurry

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