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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. roll — a cake
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pound — a weight
  5. degree — from a university
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. dip — to sink
  8. roll — a list
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. suit — to fit
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mark — a trace
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pit — a hole
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pound — to hit hard

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