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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: spring · cabinet · temple · degree · mug · rule · mouse · pitcher

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. spring — the season
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mug — a face
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rule — government
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. degree — an amount
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. degree — from a university
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rule — a law

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