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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: toast · bass · plane · temple · pit · degree · wind · ruler

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. degree — an amount
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wind — moving air
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pit — in a race
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wind — moving air
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. toast — bread

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