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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: mug · land · game · clip · nail · roll · ruler · foot

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mug — a cup
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. game — a match
  7. mug — a face
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. mug — to rob
  11. game — wild animals
  12. clip — for paper
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. roll — a list
  20. clip — a video
  21. roll — a cake
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. foot — a measure
  24. clip — to cut

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