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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wind · ruler · temple · ground · game · bark · bound

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ground — crushed
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wind — moving air
  7. degree — from a university
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bound — certain
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. ground — a position
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bound — tied together
  19. game — a match
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wind — moving air
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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