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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: ruler · field · temple · vault · pop · pit

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pit — a hole
  3. vault — a safe
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pop — music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pop — to visit
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pop — soda
  18. pit — in a race

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