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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. season — of the year
  10. chip — to eat
  11. season — in sport
  12. ground — a position
  13. bass — low music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. degree — temperature
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bass — the fish
  22. degree — from a university
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rock — a stone

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