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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. track — a song
  4. degree — temperature
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. degree — from a university
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. track — to keep track
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. track — a path
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. kick — in football
  19. stock — goods
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stock — shares
  22. charge — in control
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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