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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: patient · scale · jam · pass · degree · temple · date · rush

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. scale — in music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. degree — from a university
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pass — a permit
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. degree — temperature
  22. scale — size or range
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. patient — a sick person

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