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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: pit · field · rule · date · mine · drill · safe · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. field — farmland
  4. drill — a practice
  5. date — the fruit
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mine — for digging
  8. field — a subject
  9. drill — army training
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rule — government
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rule — a law
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. field — for sport
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pit — a hole

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