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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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Word bank
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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: degree · deal · patient · suit · rule · bat

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bat — the animal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. deal — to handle
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. suit — to fit
  11. degree — an amount
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. suit — clothes
  18. degree — from a university

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