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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. net — in sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. net — after costs
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. root — of a word
  10. net — for catching
  11. root — the cause
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. root — of a plant
  15. chip — to eat
  16. court — of law
  17. lie — to recline
  18. key — for a lock
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chip — for betting

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