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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. firm — decided
  4. rule — a law
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. firm — a company
  11. drill — army training
  12. cap — a hat
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. degree — temperature
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rule — government
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. firm — steady
  24. drill — the tool

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