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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: rule · stock · degree · hand · dip · temple · mark · rush

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. degree — temperature
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mark — a trace
  4. hand — help
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stock — shares
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stock — goods
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rule — a law
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rule — government
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rush — to hurry
  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