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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rule — a law
  6. bound — certain
  7. ground — the earth
  8. court — for sport
  9. ground — a position
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. court — of a king
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rule — government
  14. court — of law
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pit — in a race
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ground — crushed
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. bound — tied together

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