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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 · fan · bat · temple · bound · rush · ruler · land

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. land — ground
  3. bound — tied together
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bound — certain
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. degree — from a university
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. rush — hurry

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