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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. degree — temperature
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. staff — employees
  9. deal — to handle
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. staff — employees
  15. roll — a cake
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cap — a hat
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. track — a song
  21. degree — from a university
  22. roll — a list
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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