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

Word bank: safe · ruler · field · rule · bark · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rule — a law
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bark — to shout
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. field — for sport
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. vault — an arched ceiling

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