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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: degree · rash · rule · ball · rock · roll · jam · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. roll — a cake
  3. rock — a stone
  4. degree — an amount
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rock — music
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rule — a law
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. degree — from a university
  11. ball — a great time
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. roll — a list
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rule — government
  18. rash — a series
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. date — the fruit
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. degree — temperature

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