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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: rest · wind · fine · degree · suit · fork · mate · game

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rest — a break
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wind — moving air
  8. game — a match
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fine — all right
  12. game — wild animals
  13. degree — from a university
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fine — high quality
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mate — a partner
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mate — a friend

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