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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · degree · ruler · race · board · temple

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. race — the arms race
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. race — a contest
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. board — a committee
  16. race — humankind
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. board — to get on

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