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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. degree — temperature
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rest — what's left
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cap — a hat
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. rest — a break
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cap — of ice
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. degree — an amount
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. perch — the fish
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. temple — side of the head

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