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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mug — a face
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mug — a cup
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. degree — temperature
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mug — to rob
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. degree — from a university

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