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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — a path
  7. march — the month
  8. degree — from a university
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. degree — an amount
  11. track — to keep track
  12. degree — temperature
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chip — to eat
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. track — a song
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. march — the month
  21. bank — for money
  22. march — music
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. sharp — clever

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