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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. scale — in music
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. degree — temperature
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. degree — from a university
  11. stock — shares
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. stock — goods
  18. degree — an amount
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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