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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: land · cap · ruler · club · clip · degree · saw · temple

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. land — ground
  3. clip — for paper
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. club — for golf
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. club — a group
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. club — for dancing
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. clip — a video
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. land — a country
  19. cap — of ice
  20. clip — to cut
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cap — a lid
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. land — to come down

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