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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rule — government
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. swing — in golf
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mark — a trace
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rule — a law
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pass — a permit
  17. season — of the year
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. season — in sport
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — an amount

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