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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bark — to shout
  11. staff — a stick
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. staff — employees
  14. degree — an amount
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stand — to bear
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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