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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
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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: mate · foot · pop · degree · rock · pitch · rule · rash

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rock — music
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pop — soda
  10. rash — a series
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rule — government
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rule — a law
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rash — hasty

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