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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: temple · pit · rule · roll · cabinet · race

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. race — humankind
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rule — a law
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rule — government
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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