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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: clip · ground · rule · net · arm · toast · stick · ruler

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. ground — a position
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — for catching
  10. clip — to cut
  11. net — in sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rule — government
  14. ground — crushed
  15. clip — a video
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ground — the earth
  19. net — after costs
  20. clip — for paper
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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