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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. ground — a position
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. shower — to wash
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. ground — the earth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. game — wild animals
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. degree — temperature
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. game — a match
  24. ground — crushed

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