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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: lean · vault · file · rule · pitcher · date · ruler · kid

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. 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. date — the fruit
  2. rule — a law
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rule — government
  12. file — a line of people
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a tool
  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