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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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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: racket · ruler · lean · mark · ground · cap · drill · stick

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lean — thin
  6. cap — a lid
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ground — crushed
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. ground — a position
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. drill — army training
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ground — the earth
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lean — to bend
  24. drill — a practice

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