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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: pound · season · nail · temple · racket · squash · degree · rule

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. squash — the sport
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. degree — temperature
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. degree — an amount
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. degree — from a university
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rule — government
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rule — a law
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. racket — for tennis

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