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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · ground · leaves · mug · pop · march · race · rule

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. race — humankind
  2. pop — music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ground — crushed
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. mug — to rob
  8. march — the month
  9. pop — soda
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rule — a law
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pop — to visit
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ground — a position
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — government
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. race — a contest
  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