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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. firm — decided
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. degree — an amount
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. charge — in control
  9. kick — in football
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. last — final
  13. pound — a weight
  14. firm — steady
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — finally
  22. firm — a company
  23. charge — a price
  24. date — the fruit

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