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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. 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. pass — to succeed
  3. court — of a king
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. track — to keep track
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. court — for sport
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. degree — from a university
  13. track — a path
  14. court — of law
  15. track — a song
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. 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