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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. drill — a practice
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. degree — temperature
  7. club — a group
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. drill — the tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. drill — army training
  14. hand — in cards
  15. toast — bread
  16. hand — help
  17. degree — an amount
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. club — for dancing
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. degree — from a university
  22. club — for golf
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. toast — the most admired

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