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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 · plane · roll · track · spring · mark · ground · deal

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. track — a song
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. track — to keep track
  7. roll — a cake
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. spring — a coil
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mark — a grade
  14. spring — of water
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. spring — the season
  19. mark — a trace
  20. track — a path
  21. roll — a list
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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