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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: cue · drill · rule · calf · ground · ruler · object · mine

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cue — for pool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mine — for digging
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rule — a law
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rule — government
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mine — an explosive

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