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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: tear · foot · rule · ruler · bound · craft · rash · pit

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rule — a law
  3. rash — a series
  4. pit — in a race
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bound — obliged
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rule — government
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. craft — boats
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pit — a hole
  18. foot — a measure
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bound — certain
  22. tear — from crying
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bound — tied together

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