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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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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: temple · pitcher · branch · ruler · bass · jam · rule · mug

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mug — a cup
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. branch — a division
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. mug — a face
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bass — low music
  21. rule — a law
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. 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