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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 116 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: squash · ruler · bowl · stand · current · row · rule · kick

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. kick — in football
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. row — a line
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rule — government
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. current — of water
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rule — a law

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