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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: field · coach · mouse · kid · rush · ruler · rule · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. field — a subject
  6. rule — government
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. field — farmland
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. land — to come down
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rush — hurry
  18. kid — to tease
  19. land — a country
  20. rule — a law
  21. kid — child
  22. field — for sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rush — to hurry

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