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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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. scale — size or range
  9. court — of law
  10. scale — in music
  11. can — a tin
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. temple — a place of worship

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