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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 · scale · rule

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. field — a subject
  3. pop — soda
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. field — farmland
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. field — for sport
  12. vault — a safe
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rule — a law
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. scale — in music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rule — government

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