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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: rule · temple · key · degree · tube · date · firm · patient

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rule — government
  5. degree — from a university
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. firm — steady
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. key — the most important part
  11. tube — the underground
  12. firm — a company
  13. date — the fruit
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. key — in music
  17. firm — decided
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rule — a law
  20. degree — temperature
  21. key — for a lock
  22. tube — a container
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. temple — side of the head

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