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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · rush · date · cabinet · fine · degree · rule · club

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. degree — temperature
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rush — hurry
  9. date — the fruit
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. club — for golf
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rule — a law
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. club — a group
  19. rule — government
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. chair — a leader
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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