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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: can · rule · tube · wax · land · mark · foot · ball

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. can — a tin
  6. tube — a container
  7. wax — to grow
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mark — a grade
  13. foot — a measure
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. land — to come down
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. land — a country
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mark — a trace
  24. land — ground

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