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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: pit · pitcher · bore · game · band · club · temple · ruler

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — for golf
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. band — a music group
  14. bore — to tire
  15. club — for dancing
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. game — a match
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. game — wild animals
  20. club — a group
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. ruler — a monarch

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