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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 116 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: rule · mug · nail · deal · ruler · pitch · squash · stick

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pitch — completely
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rule — government
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mug — a face
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mug — a cup
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. deal — a big deal

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