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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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Word bank
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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: pitcher · rule · temple · ball · ruler · tear

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rule — a law
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a great time
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rule — government
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tear — to rip
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rule — to rule out

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