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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. degree — an amount
  6. track — a path
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. degree — temperature
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. track — to keep track
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. track — a song
  18. stock — shares
  19. press — a publisher
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stock — goods
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. degree — from a university
  24. toast — bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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