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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. rule — government
  3. degree — temperature
  4. scale — in music
  5. degree — an amount
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. firm — a company
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. vault — a safe
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. firm — decided
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. sharp — clever
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. scale — size or range
  20. degree — from a university
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rule — a law
  24. sharp — with an edge

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