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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. swing — music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. chip — to eat
  10. swing — in golf
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fine — all right
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. degree — an amount
  24. chip — in a computer

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