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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 120 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: mate · rush · degree · pit · coach · ruler · face · key

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mate — a friend
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pit — in a race
  10. key — in music
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. face — to confront
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. degree — an amount

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