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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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. degree — an amount
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. band — a music group
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. degree — from a university
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. band — a ring

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