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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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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: date · temple · staff · rule · ground · stem · race · degree

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. race — the arms race
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. staff — a stick
  11. stem — to come from
  12. staff — employees
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rule — government
  15. date — the fruit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. race — a contest
  21. degree — from a university
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rule — a law
  24. race — humankind

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