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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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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. degree — temperature
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. net — after costs
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rule — a law
  23. degree — an amount
  24. racket — for tennis

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