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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. file — a tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rule — a law
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rule — government
  11. bass — low music
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cue — a signal
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. degree — an amount
  19. file — a document
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bass — the fish

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