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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. present — the time now
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. march — the month
  15. rush — hurry
  16. degree — temperature
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rush — to hurry

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