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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: deal · temple · cabinet · pit · mate · ruler

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. deal — to handle
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mate — a partner
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring

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