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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: ground · can · rash · mate · ruler · field · spring · kick

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. ground — crushed
  3. spring — of water
  4. field — farmland
  5. ground — a position
  6. spring — the season
  7. mate — a friend
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — hasty
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. can — a tin
  13. rash — a series
  14. field — for sport
  15. kick — in football
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mate — to breed
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. mate — a partner
  22. field — a subject
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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