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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. present — a gift
  3. roll — a cake
  4. key — in music
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. sharp — clever
  9. degree — an amount
  10. key — for a lock
  11. present — the time now
  12. degree — temperature
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. degree — from a university
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. key — the most important part
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. roll — a list
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. present — there
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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